SA’s long-term investment
23 Oct 2012
Johan Goosen has the potential to become a truly world-class flyhalf for the Springboks.
Every elite rugby playing country wishes they had a Dan Carter. But none more so than the All Blacks’ bitter rivals, the Springboks.
There have been false dawns, Gaffie du Toit the most notable of those. Others have been cast aside early as pretenders. Not so Goosen. He has something special, with just enough special to stir hope that the Springboks may have, in him, at very least a strong rebuttal to Carter, at best an answer to him.
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In an exclusive interview with SA Rugby magazine, Goosen talks about:
- How he doesn’t feel the pressure of Test rugby
- Why he sometimes gets very emotional
- His early playing days
- Why he’s always prepared to ‘have a go’ when it comes to long-range goal kicks
- Why there’s no difference between kicking for posts at Super Rugby and Test levels
- How he deals with criticism
- His preferred style of play
- His challengers for the Bok No 10 jersey
- Why he’ll stay at the Cheetahs
Also in the new issue:
– Why the Springboks must make an honest assessment of their 2012 season if they are to improve
– Once South African rugby’s forgotten man, Francois Louw could ironically become one of the Springboks’ most important figures in seasons to come
– Cory Jane has proven that size doesn’t matter when it comes to Test wings
– SA Rugby magazine analyses the Springboks’ end-of-year tour opponents
– Leinster hooker Richardt Strauss could soon be representing Ireland on the Test stage
– Tim Visser was born and raised in the Netherlands, where rugby is an insignificant sport. Now he’s playing at the highest level for Scotland
– England centre Brad Barritt is finally starting to realise his potential as a Test player
– Ghanaian-born wing Raymond Rhule had an outstanding Currie Cup for the Cheetahs
– JP du Plessis is pleased to be back in the Western Cape after short stints with the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Rebels
– Warren Gatland will become the second New Zealander to coach the Lions when they tour Australia next year, but he’s unlikely to make the same mistakes as Graham Henry in 2001
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416 Comments
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23 Oct 2012, 06:13 am
Obama Dragons!
23 Oct 2012, 06:25 am
He’s just too injury prone for this stage in his career, I don’t see him having consistent game time to establish himself at test level.
23 Oct 2012, 06:28 am
Haven’t we had this conversation before about put soo much faith in players with “potential”
Fark me
23 Oct 2012, 06:32 am
Jp du plessis, the next generation…
23 Oct 2012, 06:34 am
@Jinx2 LMAO at Obama Dragons
23 Oct 2012, 06:37 am
He is not even at the level of the very competent, exciting and skillful Aaron Cruden(remember those exceptional 24 mins. against an Ireland that thought they could beat the ABs) yet but these deluded morons compare him to Dan Carter?
These guys and their supposed rugby ‘knowledge’?
Anyway work beckons as a quiet day here awaits with the threatening Shark boycott hovering overhead.
23 Oct 2012, 06:41 am
@Neilanate-6:
Ah, the silence of the Lambies!
23 Oct 2012, 06:42 am
Hey Transie, only realising now that Rhule is my homeboy
23 Oct 2012, 06:43 am
@David-7:
Please do not be mean. This place will be the lesser for the absence of an adversary.
23 Oct 2012, 06:45 am
@papaown-8
Which Tswana or even Kei is that to be?
23 Oct 2012, 06:45 am
@Neilanate-6: oh please…remember aarkn cruden’s debut Tests? He wasn’t flash either & was behinf colin slade at some point as he was considered a tad erratic.
Goosen’s made a bigger impact on his debut year in super rugby than cruden in his.
23 Oct 2012, 06:47 am
@papaown-8: really ? He be Oja
23 Oct 2012, 06:48 am
Yesterday Lambie, today Goosen tomorow Janjties. This site and its praise singing is really good at praise singing…
23 Oct 2012, 06:52 am
@Transformation-11:
No I do not remember “aarkn”.
In any case homey it is all a matter of perception. Yours against mine and I needlessly will support my perceptions against yours any day- nature of the beast of the feast.
23 Oct 2012, 06:56 am
@Neilanate-9:
I think we all agreed that Lambie should be at 10 for the , yet our Sharkie friends carried on the whole complaining that we were Lambie/Sharks haters, then stormed out in a manufactured huff. They should be appearing in one of those Victorian melodramas.
23 Oct 2012, 06:58 am
Wonderful talent , pity about the injuries….great to have 3 fine 10 prospects….
23 Oct 2012, 07:00 am
We build players up only to discard them and break them down.
Our biggest asset , the number of players, is also our biggest liability. With all the potential Gossen has , in NZ he would still be below Jantjies and Lambie in the pecking order.
He would be allowed to develop with stints off the bench. Jantjies and Lambie had similar debut seasons and no one rushed to start them!
23 Oct 2012, 07:04 am
@grant10-16: I have serious reservations about you being the real Grant10.
Every day 2 line comments of positivity with non-commital, lack of emotion comments.
What’s going on?
23 Oct 2012, 07:05 am
@David-15:
The discussion moved a lot further than that and to the point where a dumb power-drunk Nikita said ” The Sharkies poluting the thread”. And that triggered their ire and started a boycott..
Anyway i have to go.
23 Oct 2012, 07:06 am
@Neilanate-14: the point is, cruden was nowhere near as “competent” as he is right now after his debut season, even you can’t lie about that…he is in his 3rd super rugby season & well coached by rennie * strawbridge plus playing next to sbw did him a world of good as sonny called the play sometimes relieving pressure on cruden.
23 Oct 2012, 07:16 am
@Transformation-20:
And you ‘know’ all that because you were privileged to be called secretively aside by Hansen or “rennie” or “sbw” or any combination of those to have that eruditely explained to you in fascinating detail.
‘Knowledge’ she is a dangerous thing in the hands of a great thumb-sucker.
The road calls. Bye now.
23 Oct 2012, 07:20 am
@Transformation-11:
agreed, he was poor. even at the hurricanes he showed erratic form and ability.
he’s really matured at well at the chiefs, good composure under pressure as well option taking, most times.
23 Oct 2012, 07:21 am
he’s really matured at well = he’s really matured well
23 Oct 2012, 07:26 am
This heading sounds a bit like an insurance ad…
23 Oct 2012, 07:32 am
@Neilanate-21: loo
k, you came here spouting about a “competent cruden” now when faced with a view countering your psrochial assertion you resort to obfuscation hehehe…
Back your also uninformed “perception” with some form or nuanced argument or pipe down
23 Oct 2012, 07:40 am
@Transformation-20:
what i like about him is that, like all really good 10′s who go on to become greats, he has that demeanour which, even when the time and space is tight, just screams calmness, unhurried ease and masterly ability to make the play regardless.
a little cliche’d but, ‘he plays in the matrix’. goosen has this, as well pollard to my mind, lambie and elton, though good and at times exhibiting these traits, seem to be doubtful and a little stifffer… less animated and still caught up in their mental limitations of what their minds can and will allow them to do within the matrix.
this is onr of the hallmarks of a great player who could establish his/a legend… form, injury and fate permitting.
23 Oct 2012, 07:42 am
oosen has this, as well pollard to my mind, lambie and elton, though = oosen has this, as well pollard to my mind. lambie and elton, though
23 Oct 2012, 07:43 am
goosen has this, as well pollard to my mind. lambie and elton, though
23 Oct 2012, 07:43 am
Is something wrong with Jantjies?
23 Oct 2012, 07:45 am
@papaown-18:
grant took stock of himself, his behaviour and how this affected peoples perceptions of him on here.
that’s a good thing.
23 Oct 2012, 07:48 am
@Hondo-29:
i dont know, that depends.
who are you asking this question of and why?
23 Oct 2012, 07:49 am
As the Stormers dragging their feet on Jantjies’ contract, his price tag is going up!
He might be snatched soon by a French club if Rob Wagner keeps showing lack of urgency in the matter
23 Oct 2012, 07:57 am
Apart from Gaffie, I do think Andre Pretorius had the potential to become a brilliant Bok flyhalf, pity the man always got injured when he started hitting form. I just hope the same does not happen to young Goossen who does seem to be very injury prone.
My 2cents worth on the flyhalf issue, I would keep Elton, Pat and Johan in the mix as my Bok flyhalfs during the next two years, one of them will rise above the others eventually and that is the guy you make your premier flyhalf in the year before the World Cup and allow him to then settle into the position. Picking your flyhalf now and placing all your eggs in one basket for a world cup in three years time is crazy.
23 Oct 2012, 08:06 am
Goosen is the truth.
Needs some more upper body strength but not too much to stifle his agility, just enough to stand his ground like say a D. Carter.
23 Oct 2012, 08:07 am
@papaown-18: Heyneke Meyer starts with Spies or M Steyn then I will have reason to get crazy, with F Louw playing and my ‘ pet hates ‘ Plod, Spies and M Steyn finally being consigned to the scrap heap , where I wanted them 2 bloody years ago already, I dont have much to complain about….
Pity it took 2 years though….
23 Oct 2012, 08:14 am
It is reassuring to know that we have such competent backup for Morne Steyn. Grant can take over immediately, if necessary and Goosen, Jantjies and Lambie should all be ready in about four to five years.
23 Oct 2012, 08:18 am
Agree but at less than 20 lets not rush him too fast plus we have good choices in Lambie and Jantjies to share the fly half load until he becomes the real deal. Suggest 2013 play Lambie as the main starting fly half with Goosen getting 30/40% game time through the year and by year end he will be showing his greatness. Lambie goes through the same process after this at full back and Jantjies stays in the mix as number 2 fly half up to 2015. All three at world cup 2015 gives us an edge.
23 Oct 2012, 08:19 am
Comparing Goosen to Cruden is suggesting he is a fill in until a truly adequate flyhalf is found
When Carter retires, the battle for his spot in the AB’s will be between Barrett and the runt from Palmey.
My pick will be Barrett long term with Cruden doing what he is doing now, warming the benches.
23 Oct 2012, 08:22 am
With all the prop and hooker injuries and teams now having to have a full front row on the bench, what do reckon the chances John Smit gets a call up for the EOYT?
23 Oct 2012, 08:22 am
@Hondo-32:
oh, ok. he really should hve gone to the sharks imo but good luck to him and the stormers, hope it works. they’re obvioulsy trying to use as much leverage as they can and the more they stall the better their position, perhaps.
going overseas would not be the worst of outcomes for him as there is an oversupply of bok flyhalfs at the moment and he is not top of the list. without a super team to play for maybe its not such a bad idea.
lambie is in the same position in that he is not the top rated flyhalf in the country but is kept here by the promise of getting game time as the super squad flyhalf for the sharks.
23 Oct 2012, 08:26 am
@Craven-33:
@Finfan-36:
i would put fouche and pollard in that mix too.
23 Oct 2012, 08:32 am
@John Galt-39: Great idea….
If you Irish, Scottish or English…
23 Oct 2012, 08:33 am
@Transformation-25: In New Zealand a players improve with more experience, in SA the opposite happens.
Goosen will be good now, but come 3years time, we will be calling for his head.
I dont think its got anything to do with the player, its our wonderful game plan which sees players changing their own style of play to suit it. End result Gaffie Du Toit.
23 Oct 2012, 08:34 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-41:
fouche? really now..
the bulls have been putrid at times in the CC- all fouche is good for is kicking at goals.. another morne steyn in the making, slightly worse id guess
pollard is still very young, hes so far from the bok squad its ridiculous
dont think he’ll ever make it to vecoming a regular bok
the talent we already have at 10nis more than suffice, pollard and fouche have nothing more to add
23 Oct 2012, 08:34 am
The EOTYT is the perfect opportunity to give the true second choice (second best) flyhalf in the country a chance to make the 10 jersey his own.
Goosen is young and can still be used off the bench for the next couple of seasons…
Hopefully, in Goosen’s absence, Lambo and Jantjies will be the flyhalves in the squad for the tour…No Morne… If MS is ever in great form again then he can contend for the 2nd or 3rd spot…
Never again should he be considered as first choice, not while Lambie, Jantjies and Goosen are playing good rugby…
But will HM let go of the idea that Lambie is best suited at 15? If he does who will Kirchner’s understudy be? Taute? Lets hope so, because he’s not the best outside center…not with JDJ, Jordaan and JJ to choose from…
What ever happened to the U21 bok flyhalf? He signed with the bulls right? Pity he has to contend with Lionel Cronje, Fouche and MSteyn. He’s never going to see game time at super rugby level…
23 Oct 2012, 08:35 am
@John Galt-39:
If Meyer selected Smit for the EOYT, then you can be certain he is fixated with the current and nothing about the future.
Personally, I can’t believe any half decent coach would do what you are suggesting.
Perhaps if the tour was nearly over, there was an injury crisis and the team needed one more win for a clean sweep.
Maybe then go back to the future, but setting out on the tour in that manner would be a defeatist decision and a kick in the guts for all the promising hookers and props hoping for selection.
So, the chances of Meyer selecting Smit are vanishingly slim.
23 Oct 2012, 08:38 am
@Jeez-45:
louis ludik and willie le roux is so far ahead of niknaks man its a joke
for me, either taute or ludik should be fighting for the bok 15
niknaks shouldnt even be in the squad
23 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
Barry Soetoro used a teleprompter during the US Presidential Debate, but then again does he ever say anything without the prompter?
23 Oct 2012, 08:52 am
@Brads-46:
Yeah I was just pulling legs with that one.
Would be a disastrous move. Meyer would never do it anyway.
23 Oct 2012, 08:55 am
@Brads-38: no he is noy a “fill in” our resident know-it-all Nielanate was trying to disparage johan when in fact goosen has made far more of an impact than cruden in his debut season…that’s as far as the comparison goes.
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