Goosen gets freedom within framework
28 Sep 2012
Johan Goosen won’t be given licence to thrill but he will be encouraged to express himself when the opportunities present themselves at Loftus, says Jean de Villiers.
The message from the Springbok management and senior players has been clear this week, Goosen – installed at flyhalf after two impressive attacking performances off the wood – will have to adapt to the team’s approach, not have it shaped around him.
There has certainly been a directive to him to play the naturally attacking game that has brought him into the national consciousness. But no free reign will be extended to him. Instead the coaches and some experienced players have worked on his spacial awareness and decision making under pressure in a bid to equip him with the processing skills to take the right option in any given situation.
De Villiers said he would have freedom within a pre-determined framework.
‘Johan brings a lot of youthful enthusiasm to the game. But nothing changes for us from a game plan point of view. Yes, if there is opportunity to go wide, into space, we’ll do that. That’s always been the case with this team,’ he said.
Some young players need constant assurance of their value, others not, the latter requiring only to be encouraged to express themselves. Asked where Goosen stood, De Villier simply said: ‘He has a good head on his shoulders. Mentally he is up for it.’
He added: ‘I spoke to him early in the week and told him I’m going to be hard on him because I want to get the best out of him. But I also said it works both ways because he is ultimately the general of this team. He has taken that message in the spirit it was intended.’
Goosen will be pitted against Kurtley Beale, himself making his first start at flyhalf. That match-up excites De Villiers, who warned that the Springboks must nullify Beale or they would struggle.
‘Beale is a classy player and it is quite a tantalising prospect seeing those two up against each other. He has shown what he can do playing in other positions at Test level, and he was very good at flyhalf in Super Rugby. We’ll have to be up for it defensively because he’ll definitely test us.’
By Ryan Vrede, in Johannesburg
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28 Comments
28 Sep 2012, 12:27 pm
Goosebump Dragons??
28 Sep 2012, 12:30 pm
What odds that he drops at least two of the first three balls he receives?
28 Sep 2012, 12:36 pm
@BrumbiesBoy-2: I think you are being generous… Beale will certainly drop all three!
28 Sep 2012, 12:41 pm
@Mongril-3: Probably!
28 Sep 2012, 12:43 pm
@Mongril-3:
28 Sep 2012, 12:58 pm
After your last performance Jean, you should worry about yourself china!
Just now Goosen is tough on you to get the best out of you!
28 Sep 2012, 12:58 pm
Coenie and Frans ruled out of the Loftus test.
28 Sep 2012, 12:58 pm
@Mongril-3: Hahaha love it!
28 Sep 2012, 12:59 pm
@Hop Hop Spinnekop-7: Agenee, dis nie goeie nuus nie! Veral vir Coenie (daar is opsies vir senter).
Hoop die manne is binnekort weer reg
28 Sep 2012, 13:03 pm
@Hop Hop Spinnekop-7:
where’s the report?
kak news…
28 Sep 2012, 13:03 pm
@bokfan1-9: don’t worry they are replaced by Lions =)
28 Sep 2012, 13:04 pm
Goosen is not going to want to run every ball he gets. The guy is not stupid. In the tests where he came on, we were chasing the game so he had to do something.
What Goosen’s presense will ensure is that when there is an opportunity, the backs will be sent away much more effectively.
The true test of his impact will be whether his centers can look dangerous.
28 Sep 2012, 13:22 pm
@DumbSupporter-12: I am sure will stop him from giong wide.
28 Sep 2012, 13:26 pm
@Hop Hop Spinnekop-11: hahahaha
28 Sep 2012, 13:41 pm
“(Goooses) will have to adapt to the team’s approach, not have it shaped around him”
This makes no f’ing sense ,so why the fungus was he even picked in the first palce ?
I really dont understand this line of thinking at all. Players like Goosen and Cooper come into the lime light playing a certain style of rugby then when they get picked at national level they are asked to change their style.
In whose mind does that even make sense why not just pick a player who already plays that style of rugby rather than killing the kid’s talent . He didnt get to the forefront by having a mean kick chase game – he got there by running circles around the opposition. so if he wants to run every time he touches the ball i say let him.
28 Sep 2012, 13:45 pm
Just play the situation, Goosen. Don’t listen to anyone else. It’s complete nonsense to imagine that 15 players can be moved around a field like chess pieces by some lunatic trying to deepthroat a walkie-talkie.
28 Sep 2012, 13:46 pm
Way to go! Stifle brilliance into a non-existent plan for attack.
28 Sep 2012, 13:48 pm
Just by having Goosen at 10 opens up the backline.
The oposing flyhalf and inside centre will have to cover him and so they cant drift across like they do against Morne Steyn.(Reason the bok backline had no space to work in) If there is half a gap then Goose will go for it and open up the midfield on his outside. I cant wait for the game to start.
28 Sep 2012, 13:49 pm
@boktillzero-15: Stop talking sh it. Bulls/Bok FHs don’t run the ball. HM and Jean are not going to let this little snotface bring innovation and creativity to their predictible gameplan.
28 Sep 2012, 13:53 pm
@bokfan1-6: True. Jean is not exactly setting the park on fire himself. Leave the kid alone and worry about your own k@k game.
28 Sep 2012, 14:11 pm
@rossoneri-20: If he starts at 12 next to a running flyhalf (that is Goosen) Jean will look like his old self again. Is it any mystery that his best games were played next to Butch in his prime?
28 Sep 2012, 14:20 pm
@Mongril-21: Juan has alot still to offer the boks, he must just move closer to 10
28 Sep 2012, 15:57 pm
@kaksioek-16: So, surely Heneke’s new Nick is Deepthroat. This gave me a laff.
28 Sep 2012, 18:08 pm
What the feck? if you gonna have a chance to go wide you gonna take it eh? but you gonna do that standing flat? bwahahahahaah!!! fkin hell thats stupid. you stand deep if you wanna go wide and stand flat if you gonna attack very close in by the seam of the defence fkin idiots every fkin schoolboy in kiwi town knows that for fk sake our own fkin idiot coaches dont that should scare heaps of ***** out of you crazy bastardss. dont fkin have a clue heres crossing fingers for juicy goosey to have a blinder but fkin hell dont play like the dunce heads are speaking.
28 Sep 2012, 18:12 pm
@Mongril-21: jean never had good games for the boks ever at centre the whole fkin bok backline fell apart when jean started 12 and thats with jaco, pretorius, bosman, frans, butch, morne, lambie, pienaar at 10. fkin wake up you cok suker. this fkin doos was made a class clown in munster. fk frans and morne were pretty good at the world cup and then jean came back and it was all over again. same with butch, we was ***** against samoa and on 2006 eoyt then frans came in and voila. nah jean is a fkin grade a chump.
28 Sep 2012, 18:22 pm
@Blitzbok-25: Do you torture small animals and dress up as Mary Poppins whilst humming ‘Hey there little red riding hood’ in your spare time?
28 Sep 2012, 19:27 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-26: i do what the fk i want bro i am the king of this fkin country gotta live with that.
29 Sep 2012, 08:41 am
Poor old Blitzie. Two tubes of p e n i s enlargement cream does not make you a man, little one.
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