Confident Johannes is happy to take over Bulls flyhalf jersey from injured Goosen

Yet another unfortunate injury to veteran flyhalf Johan Goosen at the Bulls has meant a baton change to youngster Keagan Johannes, who is a grateful recipient.

Goosen was not long ago a much-talked about Springbok flyhalf prospect but an uncanny series of injuries have relegated him from a “should-have been” to a “could-have been.”

The 32-year-old yet again suffered a knee injury playing for the Bulls, this time against Cardiff at the weekend. The Bulls comfortably won the game 45-21. despite losing Goosen just 12 minutes into the game.

The versatile Keegan Johannes once more took over from Goosen.

The 25-year-old said, “I saw it as a great opportunity.

"I have been playing the position for a while, especially on our recent overseas tour. I have learnt a lot from Goose and continue to learn from him.

"He’s guiding me very well. It’s a big opportunity for me to step into that space.

"I feel that I’ve been competing with the top flyhalves in the country this season. I’m not far off from where I should be. There is always room for improvement, but I believe I’ve done well so far.”

Johannes said the flyhalf position required added responsibility.

There is a lot of pressure at flyhalf,” said Johannes, who is typically a scrumhalf.

“As a No 9, you understand what a flyhalf wants and vice versa. Everyone on the pitch helps each other, and we know what plans we need to execute.

“We saw that this weekend when I went on early to replace Goose. Everyone is calm and helpful when I’m at flyhalf. When things aren’t going well, the team expects the flyhalf to make good decisions and drive the team forward.

“I feel that I’ve been chatting more and trying to become that extra coach on the field alongside Willie le Roux.”

The Bulls host the Dragons at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday before graduating to a quarter-final on 31 May.

A win would guarantee a semi-final at Loftus if they advance. The Dragons are last on the URC log but the Bulls will need to remain focused, with the Glasgow Warriors not far off them.

“The playoffs are going to be much tighter games,” Johannes stressed.

“We are proud of our performances over the past few weeks. We aren’t too stressed. In the last two weeks of the tour, we showed that we can trust our defense when things get tough.”