Johan Goosen Bulls coach Jake White said that flyhalf Johan Goosen will need some time to get back to his best after his knee injury. Photo: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
Despite being out of action for nearly three months with yet another knee injury, Johan Goosen is still rated “very highly” by Bulls coach Jake White.
The 32-year-old flyhalf will make his long-awaited return to action in Saturday’s Challenge Cup last-16 playoff against Bayonne in France (1.30pm kick-off), and it’s not a moment too soon for White.
Goosen will play off the bench, though, as Keagan Johannes has been entrusted with the No 10 jersey for the third week in a row, following his Player-of-the-Match performance in the 63-24 walloping of Zebre last week.
The two playmakers have different strengths, with Johannes’ composure, strong kicking game, brave tackling and wide array of skills providing much-needed clarity for the Bulls attack after Willie le Roux’s hit-and-miss displays as a pivot before his shoulder operation.
Goosen, on the other hand, is a bit of a mix of Johannes and Le Roux – big boot, looking for space out wide and possessing a bit of magic, but also prone to the odd big mistake or shaky defence.
“When he was playing, people weren’t convinced that he was the right guy,” White said on Friday, after also recalling star No 8 Cameron Hanekom from a back issue.
“There were a lot of articles about Goosen and the number 10 jersey, and all that sort of stuff at the Bulls...
“We’ve seen now, since he hasn’t been with us, how our game shape has changed, and how important he actually is to us – and how important his goal-kicking to us.
“And how he gets the backs to attack like we have over the last few years... But I can’t put all the pressure on his shoulders.
“I can’t expect him, after being out with a knee injury for a long time, to come and wave a wand and in 30 or 40 minutes to be the best he can be – it’s going to take time.
“But I’ve said it many times: I rate him very highly. Everyone here knows who he is... they all want his signature and a photograph with him.
“He is a big name in France because of what he did, as he was the player of the Top 14 when he was at Racing Metro.
“But like all the other injured players, we can’t play him for 80 minutes. It’s about getting the balance right.
“All we’ve got to do is hopefully stay alive in all the competitions, and hopefully when we get to the back-end of the competitions, we must have our best players fit to play.”
White called it a “mix and match” team that he selected for the Bayonne clash, as he is well aware of the possible scenarios facing his side should they win at the Stade Jean Dauger.
Friday night’s late last-16 clash between the Lions and Edinburgh in Scotland will decide where the Bulls will play next weekend if they reach the quarter-finals: either Pretoria (against the Lions) or Edinburgh.
“Going back (to South Africa) and coming back to Munster (in Limerick a week later in the United Rugby Championship) would not be ideal,” the former Bok coach said.
“But as I said before we left, it is one of those things about this season for the Bulls, where we’ve just had a very, very different season in terms of travel, tours...
“It’s something we have to accept and adapt to, which we have done well this year.
“But if the Lions win and we have to go back to Loftus, and come back again to Munster, there’s no win-win.
“I suppose coming home is not that bad, as the Lions are also on tour. We’ll know by tonight whether it’s a possibility for us to come home.”
Bulls Team
15 Devon Williams 14 Sergeal Petersen 13 David Kriel 12 Harold Vorster 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Keagan Johannes 9 Zak Burger 8 Marcell Coetzee (captain) 7 Jannes Kirsten 6 Marco van Staden 5 JF van Heerden 4 Reinhardt Ludwig 3 Wilco Louw 2 Akker van der Merwe 1 Simphiwe Matanzima.
Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17 Alulutho Tshakweni 18 Mornay Smith 19 Ruan Nortjé 20 Cameron Hanekom 21 Embrose Papier 22 Johan Goosen 23 Stedman Gans.