Nelspruit - Nearly two years after he thought his Springbok career was over, Johan Goosen will make a long awaited return to the team when he starts at fullback in Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener against Argentina at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The 24-year-old Goosen made a decision to leave South Africa for France in 2014 and thereby prematurely put the brakes on a fledgling international career that had seen him make his international debut at the tender age of 20 against Australia in the inaugural year of the expanded competition.
However, Goosen’s early joy at fulfilling his destiny as a schoolboy prodigy was curtailed by a series of injuries which resulted in him succumbing to the lure of the euro and all but calling time on the Springboks after making six appearances. So when the call came recently from Springbok team manager Ian Schwartz, it did not only take Goosen by surprise but it left the former Grey College pupil scrambling to find his Springbok blazer which he had last laid eyes on in 2014.
“When Ian called me I started wondering where my blazer was. In 2014 at the conclusion of the end of year tour I made peace with the fact that my Springbok dream was over. So I’m happy to be back, humbled to be with the team and looking forward to the journey that lies ahead,” said an assured Goosen, pictured, after training on the outer fields at the Mbombela Stadium yesterday.
Now older, wiser and a more versatile player than the slender flyhalf who left Bloemfontein for the leafy and exclusive suburban life on the west of Paris, Goosen is hoping to cement his place in the Springbok team now that his career has been resuscitated.
At Racing 92 Goosen’s versatility has been a blessing in disguise as it has allowed him to play at outside centre and fullback while being in close proximity to former All Black flyhalf and World Cup winner Dan Carter. While Goosen will step into the boots of Willie le Roux, who on top form is one of the best fullbacks in world rugby, he will need to show the same out-of-the-box thinking when attacking from the back and exploit his racking right boot which got him the nod ahead of Jesse Kriel. “Wherever I play I will try to make it my position but there are a lot of great players in there. I think it is good competition and everyone is pushing each other for a position but any position I will take,” Goosen said. “It’s just a number on your back. If I play 10, 13 or 15 it will still be a huge honour to play for the Boks. Playing at 10 or 15 is almost the same kicking wise tactically. So it doesn’t matter where I play.”
And it will be that tactical kicking game that Goosen believes will be critical in winning the Test on Saturday. The Springboks, admittedly, have struggled to get their tactical kicking game right and it proved to be their Achilles heel in the series against Ireland in June. With two right footed kickers in Goosen and Ruan Combrinck in the Bok backline, it will even the scales and give the hosts more options in controlling the game and making sure Argentina are firmly pinned in their half.
“I think Test rugby is about territory, so whoever wins the kicking battle will win the Test match,” Goosen says.
The Star