Cheetahs boosted by Golden Goosen
19 Oct 2011
Cheetahs backline coach Hawies Fourie says the return of pivot Johan Goosen will be key in the semi-final clash against the Sharks on Saturday.
The 19-year-old flyhalf has enjoyed a stellar campaign since making his senior debut for the Cheetahs in their 64-17 victory over the Leopards. His current goal kicking record reads 30 from 31 attempts in the competition, a success rate of 97%. He has impressed with his tactical kicking too, has been pivotal in the Cheetahs’ attack and is also solid on defence. Fourie confirmed Goosen will start against the Sharks this Saturday after sitting out the past two weeks with a head injury.
‘His goal kicking has been excellent. He’s also very accurate at slotting drop goals, which could be useful this coming weekend. We will need to keep our score tally ticking against the Sharks,’ Fourie told keo.co.za. ‘Johan’s overall game has also been good. He spearheads the backline well and has ability to break the opposition’s defence.
‘Our plan for him for this year was to give him experience with the U21s for the first half of the campaign, then slowly draft him into the senior squad from the bench. But since his display against the Leopards, it’s hard to leave him out. Sias has been outstanding for us during Super Rugby, but his form has dipped in the Currie Cup. He’s still been vital for us off the bench though.
‘That said, it will take a team effort to achieve victory. We are very happy with our attack [the Cheetahs have scored the most points and tries in the league stage of the tournament] and we will need to pick up on our defensive game heading into the semi-final. We’ve conceded too many tries in the last 15 to 10 minutes of the match, which has proved costly this season.’
While Goosen has been impressive, the Cheetahs forwards have been instrumental in the team’s success by setting the platform for their backline. Fourie said that the Cheetahs’ heavies will have to produce a strong showing against the Sharks’ Bok-laden pack.
‘The Sharks’ Boks will definitely be a factor this weekend. I think they’ll start all of them instead of playing them off the bench like they did against the Lions,’ said Fourie.
‘The Sharks played really last weekend. Their main source of momentum came through their forwards. They dominated the scrums and had regular front foot ball. The Lions had some attacking ball to work with, but they couldn’t score any tries as they were always on the back foot.
‘We will need to mark and restrict the Sharks’ primary ball carriers, like Ryan Kankowski, Willem Alberts, Bismarck du Plessis and Jean Deysel. Our forwards will have to front up and set the platform for the win. [Loose forwards] Lappies Labuschagne, who’s another young player who’s enjoying a dream debut season, and Ashley Johnson will be important in that battle. We also have Boom Prinsloo back from his sevens duties.
‘We’ve proved in previous Super Rugby and Currie Cup campaigns that we can beat the Sharks in Durban. Even with their Springboks.’
Cheetahs – 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Ashley Johnson, 6 Pieter Labuschagne, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Philip van der Walt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Subs: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Johan Wessels, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Nico Scheepers.
By Gareth Duncan
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276 Comments
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19 Oct 2011, 18:36 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-246: born in 63!
19 Oct 2011, 18:36 pm
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-241: He is an Etzebeth, they are born men. Or so the Cape Town legend goes.
19 Oct 2011, 18:38 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-246: i was behind the damn poles when Goows hit the upright…..will never forget that damn missed kick….15 all ….horrible!
19 Oct 2011, 18:38 pm
@coma(coma)-245: Christian Stewart was fantastic. Great ball sense, smooth runner, etc.
Ol’ Kobus was the Bok right wing. He and Neil alternated. Kobus could play fullback when needed but was a specialist 14.
Lance was in the early 1990s.
Freddie Ferrera, Michael du Plessis, Carel du Plessis, Faffa Knoetze, Christian Stewart, Neil/Kobus Burger was the start backline.
19 Oct 2011, 18:39 pm
I think that while Elstadt’s debut was at 7 and I saw him play really well there, that he has excelled this year at no 4. He bring that hard man sdge that everyone is complaining is missing.
There simply isn’t anyone in the WP setup at the moment that is capable of doing that job as well as he does it.
We are very well covered in the 7/8 department.
We have Burger/Vermeulen/Kolisi that all play that role very well, if not better than Elstadt. Lobberts even, although he’s the one guy that can also play that no 4 role fairly well. Look to see more of him next year in the Super 14 in that role.
Koster, PLouw, Carr, Kitshoff (who hasn’t impressed me all that much yet) all comlete the lineup of loosies who will get super rugby game time.
So if you look at the tight forwards you have:
Elstadt
Steenkamp
Fondse
Bekker
Lobberts
Etsebeth
2 of those guys won’t get into the final squad and will stay fit (hopefully) in the Vodacom Cup.
Loosies: (from)
Burger
PLouw
Vermeulen
Kolisi
Carr
Koster
All of those should be in the final squad,
So good cover all round IMO.
19 Oct 2011, 18:39 pm
@grant10(grant10)-251: 48 then eh. Nearing the mark!
@grant10(grant10)-253: I couldn’t get tickets. Was at home watching. Man Carel was fantastic in scoring and then Gous, the original “Mr Kick and No Pass”, goes and fluffs the kick!
19 Oct 2011, 18:41 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-254: Actually, the original 12/13 lineup/combo for a season or 2 was Christian (12) and Kobus(13). Neil was 14 and Carel 11.
In those late ’80′s – early 90′s there were
19 Oct 2011, 18:43 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-257: quite a few 12/13 combos, including guys like Tinus Linee, Jaco Taute, Casper Steyn, Ernst Scriba (Hans played mostly 15), Christiaan Scholtz (remember him?) and some more that don’t come immediately to mind .
19 Oct 2011, 18:44 pm
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-236:
To be fair its the same for all TriNations teams at theno.4 positions
NZ have problems at genuine 4′s when Thorn…very lean there with Whitelock the closest and he isnt harder than say Bekker. Next in line is Hoeatta who is in Elstadt mould more of a blindsider. Then its likes of Thrush who is a 6 really, Romano is a looser type 5 lock not a hardman,Kurtis Haui is flank,Boric is a athletic 5 softie etc Very short
In OZ after Horwill its night and day…..Simmons is a 5 athletic type,Sitaleki Timani is a big fella but has ALOT to learn not even superrugby starting material…Vickerman is a hybrid between a 4/5 but he is 32/33 not much left in that tank.Then there is Sam Wykes who is really a 6,Mumm is a 6 etc rest of cupboard is bare.Chilsholm is a 6,Kimlin played as a 6 etc
No.4 lock is a problem in general
19 Oct 2011, 18:51 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-257: Only when Faffa was injured.
19 Oct 2011, 18:52 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-258: Hans was at 15 in the ’89 clash.
The other players came after.
19 Oct 2011, 18:53 pm
Anyways, good night guys. Chat sometime later in the week.
19 Oct 2011, 19:12 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-261: That’s what i said. Hans at 15.@Michael(mikeybrass)-260: They played a whole season there. Long enough to be a legit pair. Cobus then moved to 14.
Good reminders.
19 Oct 2011, 19:18 pm
Who has seen this. They should play it to the French.
http://www.sarugby.com/news.cfm?newsid=19029
19 Oct 2011, 19:20 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-262: Cheers. Nice to chat.
19 Oct 2011, 20:06 pm
Posting from my phone; how sad.
Stewart was capped by WP in ’87. Faffa was moved to flyhalf for many of the games during the season so Kobus was used at 13 as a filler. Kobus moved to compete and ultimately beat Neil for 14 when WP got their flyhalf back (Michael)for ’88.
The ’88 and ’89 backline was the one I posted earlier
19 Oct 2011, 20:07 pm
Outta here for sure!
Night all. Been great chatting.
19 Oct 2011, 20:15 pm
Sharks *should* be too good.
19 Oct 2011, 20:20 pm
I think I am more interested in watching the CC semis than the RWC final. Both games are in the balance and final in Bloem is by no means out of the question, just as likely as a final in Jhb or Durbs-by-the-sea.
How many points do you guys reckon NZ will win by?
19 Oct 2011, 22:22 pm
@grant10(grant10)-250: any word yet on who the new coach will be?
19 Oct 2011, 22:28 pm
No word on the new coach.
20 Oct 2011, 02:29 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-259:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again ‘I’ don’t buy into labelling locks 4 or 5… both should be able to do everything, and that extends to the open-sider and 8th man…
Eg Matfield made more tackles, hit more rucks and had a higher work-rate than any other RSA (4 lock) in this RWC and S15.
Eg Brad Thorn took more LO ball than any other NZ (5 lock) or forward this RWC.
Elsom, Spies, Samo, Read took almost as much (in some cases more) LO ball as their ‘purported’ number 4 counter-parts…
In short a class team will have several LO jumpers not just one, a class team will have several ‘enforcers’ in their pack, a class team will have 8 players in the pack that can clean-out, counter-ruck and neutralise pilferers, a class team will have 22 men that can compete for ‘pilfer-ball’ when they arrive at the tackle-zone first…
4,5,7… I’ve never bought into that labelling in the 22man 85min game that is rugby…
20 Oct 2011, 08:42 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-270: persistent rumours of Rassie and AC….
20 Oct 2011, 08:49 am
@grant10(grant10)-273:
I suppose there would be rumours. We both live in Cape Town and the Cape Times and Argus is certainly pumping them up.
I would venture to bet that the Pretoria News has its own set of rumours as do the papers.
Ashfak ******** is saying that if AC got the job he needs to be ‘free’ from Rassie.
I am not sure about this “Director of Rugby” idea.
It leads to confusion as to the influence the Director has on day to day running, selections etc.
So when you say Rassie and AC what do you mean? Who is the day to day guy that picks sides, decides game strategy, develops players etc?
20 Oct 2011, 09:23 am
rumours schmumours.
But, the bozos in charge WILL appoint Coetzee and possibly Erasmus as some sort of consultant.
Mediocrity rules in SA, as does politician pleasing.
And we better get used to 65%.
20 Oct 2011, 09:46 am
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-274:
For whatevers sake – Ashfak Thingy – Its his name
The banned list of names is getting silly
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