GOOSEN: POSITIVELY CHARGED

Former Cheetahs star will get a chance to resurrect his Bok career at fullback

THERE is an TV animation character called Jimmy Neutron, a boy-genius who has to find ways to communicate with aliens in outer space.

He struggles to get it right at first, but eventually tapes a soda can to a rocket that smashes through the earth’s atmosphere and allows the communication device, made out of a toaster, to drift in space to be picked up by aliens.

In many ways, Johan Goosen, pictured, can be compared to Jimmy Neutron. He was also a boy-genius flyhalf, knocking over 65-metre penalties while at school, and he was the next big thing at No10 in South African rugby in 2012, when he made his Springbok Test debut against Australia in Perth.

But then serious knee injuries hampere d his progress, and he grew disillusioned with the game and the pressure from an expectant South African rugby public, that he left for France in June this year to play for Racing Metro.

Now he is back in the Bok side in his new position of fullback for Saturday’s Test against Italy, and it’s almost as if he is making a fresh start to his international career.

Bok coach Heyneke Meyer has long been an admirer of Goosen, who has five Test caps, and he can see a major difference in his protégé’s make-up this time around.

“The one thing I can say – and I don’t want our players going overseas, I want them to obviously stay in South Africa – is that he has matured. He has really changed as a player, but mostly he is in a very good mental space. I’ve never seen him so professional, without any injuries,” Meyer said yesterday.

“So, I think it was the right thing for him (to go overseas) because he started young and had so much pressure. He is enjoying his rugby and I believe that Johan has got a lot to add. I really get excited when you look at (Handré) Pollard being 20, Jan Serfontein is 21 and Goosen has just turned 22.

“So, those guys in one backline are very exciting, but they must also play tactically. Our backline play will improve in the next few years.”

Meyer feels Goosen’s selection at fullback in place of Willie le Roux, who is on the bench this week, is a “calculated risk”. The coach made three other changes to the starting line-up, with Trevor Nyakane earning his first Test start at loosehead in place of Tendai Mtawarira, while Coenie Oosthuizen gets another opportunity at tighthead as Jannie du Plessis is injured. Teboho Oupa Mohoje regains the No7 jersey as Schalk Burger was not required. Uncapped duo Julian Redelinghuys and Nizaam Carr have been included on the bench and could make their Test debuts on Saturday.

Goosen has only recently converted to fullback from flyhalf, but Meyer feels it is worth a try to see what he can offer from the back ahead of next year’s World Cup, especially as Le Roux is the only real specialist quality No 15 in the Bok squad.

“I truly believe that Johan can become a world-class fullback, although I still think he can play at 10 as well. The option was to get Pat (Lambie) to cover at fullback, but I just felt that Pat has done well at 10, and to move him back to fullback now would be unsettling to him,” the coach said.

“The biggest challenge for Johan will be his positional play and catching the high ball.

“Defensively, he has always been brave, so that’s fine. Kicking-wise, he’s always been excellent. And from the back, he can add one or two drop goals as well – in training, he slots 50 to 60-metre-odd drop goals.

Perhaps playing at fullback will be Goosen’s “soda can” moment.