Coenie and Goosen back

Rugby365

The Cheetahs have received a boost with the news that Springboks Johan Goosen and Coenie Oosthuizen will be fit for the start of the Super Rugby season.

Both players were cut down by injury last year, but are expected to feature in the Free State side's opening match against the Sharks on Februry 23.

Prop Oosthuizen battled a recurring neck injury last year that saw him miss out on most of the season, whilst flyhalf Goosen has recovered from the ankle injury that ruled him out of the Boks' year-end tour to Europe.

Apart from Oosthuizen and Goosen the Cheetahs are also hoping to welcome back fullback Willie le Roux (groin), flank Lappies Labuschagne (ankle) and No.8 Phillip van der Walt whilst flank Heinrich Brussow also has an outside chance of being fit in time for the clash with the Sharks.

The Cheetahs will play warm-up games against the Lions and Bulls, with Goosen and oosthuizen expected to feature against the Pfretoria outfit

Good news, Boks and Cheetahs need those two

Just hope Coenie's scrum issues are sorted.

That is brilliant news! Both players are extremely valuable!

I think his scrumming is fine. He does not dominate and does need to step this department up but injuries and alternating between tighthead and loosehead cannot help. Being a tall prop does not help either.

They need to decide on whether he is a 1 or 3 and stick to the one position

His scrumming is not fine Saf. He continuesly slips his outside bind when he plays loosehead and goes to ground. Beast had the same issue at a stage but worked it out. I hope Coenie has done the same as they have been struggling for a while to get it out of him. talking about moving him to tighthead etc. It's not unsolvable.

Come now Ek all props slip their bind its the nature of the beast. And to say he continuously slips his bind is an exaggeration. Hell Beast and Jannie let it slip at times as do Kitshoff, Malherbe and co.

Part of the issue these days is that with the modern tops they wear there is nothing to hold onto anymore. The side that gets that initial hit has the upper hand, the Kiwi scrum is the master of this as are the Crusaders. With the initial pressure from the side that gets the initial hit coupled with the lack of grip often results in a prop slipping his bind.

Coenie is generally a solid scrummager in my books, not a dominant one, but then which prop is these days?

Coenies last comback was not great.

Apparently he is playing tighthead because it does not hurt his neck when playing looshead does, then he injured his back when playing tighthead. Soon he could be playing scrumhalf or wing as this will not hurt his neck or back.

ggod news about both conine and goosem, they are both important players to the cheetahs and would be a valuable addition to the Boks, but given the talent SA has in both the fly halves and loose head, its not must have on a national level.

i heard the same thing too about coenies move to the tighthead, less strain on his neck as the impact can be spread more evenly come scrumtime as opposed to the loosehead who bears the brunt on that one side of their head/neck/shoulders.
i can remember coonie coming off the bench against the ABs where he was systematically taken out of the game once he came from the bench (but he did get a nice pilfer or score a penalty for the Boks i think???). not sure if it was a result of him coming back from injury or playing in an unfamiliar position, but he looked more effective as a loose head.

i agree with saffex about connies scrummaging, except i thought he had immense potential there, a real powehouse of the frontrow.
props getting penalised for slipping the bind happened so much it was almost a fashion trend last season, u could almost gurnatee that a penalty would awarded for somebody slipping the bind, so i dont think that coenies scrummaging woes was a s bad as brother ek implied.
 

also an important year for goosen, he had an injury ravaged 2012 and i will be watching him very carefully to see if his body can handle the pressures and demands of the spXV and Boks rugby.

he dosent want to be another brusoow who has all the talent, but was ultimately let down by his body being unable to handle the physiclaity of the big stage, potential superstar, but 20 tests in 5 years with 2013 on the way is testmant to his bodies fragileness.

maybe its a cheetahs curse??? cos connie is also in the same boat??? o_O