Goosen back in green and gold

during the Super Rugby match between the Toyota Cheetahs and the Sharks at the Free State Stadium on 5th July 2014 ©Gerhard Steenkamp/BackpagePix

during the Super Rugby match between the Toyota Cheetahs and the Sharks at the Free State Stadium on 5th July 2014 ©Gerhard Steenkamp/BackpagePix

Published Aug 7, 2016

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Cape Town – In June last year Johan Goosen was at a crossroads of sorts in his relatively young career. He had just come back from another injury and was struggling to adapt to life in France with Racing 92.

According to reports, his coach Laurent Labit also accused him of not attending French classes and not taking things seriously enough on the training ground.

“His contract still runs for two years, but he knows he’ll have to change his attitude. If not, then there’s a good chance that he won’t be here for a third year of his contract,” said Labit.

“He’ll have to pull up his socks if he wants to play.”

A year later, at the end of June, and Racing extended Goosen’s contract to 2020 after a stellar campaign, in which he played flyhalf, outside centre and fullback for the Parisian outfit. He was one of the shining lights in a team that had Dan Carter at No10.

Now coach Allister Coetzee is hoping Goosen’s purple patch can be transferred into the green and gold jersey after the former Cheetahs flyhalf was included on Saturday in the Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship which kicks off later this in August.

Goosen is recalled to the Bok set-up with the likes of Oupa Mohoje, Vincent Koch, Bryan Habana, Olympic Sevens players Juan de Jongh and Francois Hougaard, while uncapped Lions hooker Malcolm Marx is also included in the 31-man squad following a superb Super Rugby campaign.

Injured players Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Jan Serfontein, Pat Lambie, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach and Siya Kolisi were not considered for selection while prop Trevor Nyakane is in the squad, but is subject to medical clearance.

Some of the major omissions are Willie le Roux and JP Pietersen, who may have been excluded on the basis of form, Coetzee mentioning that they needed “a break”.

It’s likely that Goosen will take Le Roux’s No 15 jersey, especially after Coetzee overlooked a specialist fullback in Cheslin Kolbe. Jesse Kriel, who has played mostly at centre for the Boks, and Lions wing Ruan Combrinck can also play fullback. But Goosen’s educated right boot may give him the edge in that position, while he is also a good footballer in terms of his attacking play and his versatility allows for another specialist backline player on the bench.

“Johan Goosen has been in outstanding form for his club in France and gives us a number of options in the backline with his versatility,” Coetzee said yesterday.

The Springbok squad will assemble in stages in Johannesburg from tomorrow. The nine Lions players, who featured in the Super Rugby final against the Hurricanes, will join the squad on Wednesday, while the six overseas-based players and the two Olympians are due to join their teammates next Sunday.

The Boks face Argentina on August 20 at Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium in their first Rugby Championship assignment of 2016.

While the experience of Pietersen and Le Roux will be missed, veteran wing Habana is back in the mix after last playing for his country at last year’s World Cup in England. De Jongh and Hougaard have also played a World Cup before, and will also inject much-needed experience and class into the squad.

“We are fortunate to welcome back an experienced player such as Bryan, who will be able to provide great guidance to our young backs, while Juan and Francois also bring vast experience with them,” Coetzee said.

“JP and I recently held discussions and I have decided to give him a much-needed break because he has played a lot of rugby the past three years. Although he has joined English club Leicester, he will still be available for the Springboks. The same applies to Willie, who has just signed with Wasps.”

Boks squad

Forwards (18): Jaco Kriel, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Julian Redlinghuys, Warren Whiteley (all Lions), Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Pieter-Steph du Toit (all Stormers), Lood de Jager, Oupa Mohoje (both Cheetahs), Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss (captain) (both Bulls), Steven Kitshoff (Bordeaux/France), Francois Louw (Bath/England), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Duane Vermeulen (Toulon/France)

Backs (13): Ruan Combrinck, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Lionel Mapoe (all Lions), Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh (both Stormers), Jesse Kriel, Rudy Paige (both Bulls), Johan Goosen (Racing 92/France), Bryan Habana (Toulon/France), Francois Hougaard (Worcester/England), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Morne Steyn (Stade Francais/France)

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