Dont pick Goosen yet

Ex Supersport

Any thoughts that Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer may have about selecting Toyota Free State wunderkid Johan Goosen should be shelved until the Boks get back from Australia and New Zealand. (Fully agree really he needs to recover his form)

This is the view of Goosen’s coach at the Cheetahs, Naka Drotske, who welcomed the young star back into his side last week for his first game in four months after a shoulder injury.

There is no doubt of Goosen’s pedigree, the youngster showed in Vodacom Super Rugby earlier this season that he is not out of his depth in international rugby, but Drotske believes it is too soon to throw him into the deep end.

At 19, Goosen is widely tipped to take over from incumbent Morne Steyn, and after the Boks' poor performance against Argentina in Mendoza this past weekend, those calls have elevated into a crescendo as fans look for a scapegoat for the draw. (nicely put -scapegoat is the right word)

But Goosen has just returned and was on the field for 50 minutes against Griquas, and in Drotske’s own words looked “rusty” with both his kicking and attacking game.(Agree)

There is also a worry that mismanaging him, and forcing him in too early would ultimately hamper his career and ensure that Goosen is not a long-term option for the Boks. (It is tempting to rush him but 2014 really should be the earliest?)

With coach Meyer likely to name his squad to tour Australia and New Zealand in the next day or two, there is some expectation that Goosen should be included to help right the wrongs of Mendoza.

But Drotske believes this will be a massive mistake if it happens.

“I’m happy with his 50 minutes on the field,” Drotske told supersport.com, “He was rustly and missed a few kicks at posts and to the sideline, but the match aspect was definitely a good one for him to be in.

“I don’t think he should be called up to the Springboks just yet. I’m not just saying that out of a Free State viewpoint, but rather because he is a young player who has been out with a big injury for four months. What use will it be to make him play in difficult conditions in Australia and New Zealand. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Drotske believes that Goosen should play a few more Absa Currie Cup games before he takes the next step up.

“I think he needs three or four games for us to get his confidence and self-belief up and then he will be 100 per cent ready when the Springboks return from overseas to play at home (Ditto Vermuelen really). That would be my call on how to manage him.”

It is clear that Drotske will communicate his thoughts to the Bok management, and Bok coach Meyer may well agree, especially as he can always call on Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies or utility back Pat Lambie as back-up to Steyn in the Antipodean leg of the Castle Rugby Championship.

Still, it is understandable for Drotske to feel this way, especially as most flyhalves would have struggled with the poor platform the Bok forwards gave their halfbacks this past weekend. While Steyn has been widely blamed for the draw, the fact is that his forwards hardly gave him any good ball throughout the game.

Interestingly, statistics from ruckinggoodstats.com point out that Argentina kicked more than the Boks and despite criticism of the Boks' kicking performance, the stats show that Steyn actually passed the ball more. Steyn passed 23 times – or 70 per cent of the ball he received – and kicked only 9 – or 27% - of the ball he received.(How can they do this to the oaks - confusing the facts like this!! Hahhaahhahaha)

While Steyn’s goalkicking this season has been below par, he has shown the willingness to run the ball more, and had the second highest running metres on attack in the recent series against England.

Something for some to ponder. As Mallet famously said - Carter would have flopped for the Boks on Saturday. 

were we go again beeno.....rehashing the same old story over and over again

we all know the forwards were matched by the pumas.

http://www.ruckingoodstats.com/context/file?id=3276

look at the breakdowns is a complete mess. handeling errors was massive you name it. but stats tells a story not all of it. stats does not tell where the ball was kick. stats does not show where steyn was when the ball was passed to him ext ext. those who saw the game can take this stats and make up there own mind. he was average to say the least the past seasons and while there is better options that can provide a more x factor level to our play.

i do agree with naka on goosen that needs to be pulled through a couple of game first but your statement of 2014 being his entry time is daft. he needs to be in the squad and be groomed as early as posible. that does not mean he needs to play but at least be in the team enviroment and build on the foundation he has and become better. yes the numbers show morne ran more but those passing was so far behind the advantage line that it was rendered useless. where does you stats show that ????

HM had poor attention to the breakdown area and cost him the game. it showed against the english and the cape town game but the pumas exposed us very very very badly in that area. the decent ball that we managed to scrap was anyways to poor for any meaning full attack. the so called big ball carriers got shiners from much more agile forwards with better skills at the breakdown.

you can rehash as many times as you want beeno the numbers tell a story but looking at the numbers and targeting the area where the relevent stats happend one can see a proper story. the numbers to the naked eye without the priviledge of viewing the game shows a complete distort view.

take the numbers look at the video of the game then you can see why everyone is unhappy beeno.....copy and pasting numbers of a website does not tell the game on how it happend

It's unfair to everyone to put him in now.

Carpetmuncher mentioned it already, but it would be nice if he was just on the team this year after their trip. Start the grooming phase, and then next year hope is form is just as good, or has improved in S15, and get him in the bok lineup. By the time the WC rolls around he has enough experience and it isn't a question mark.

no one doubts that goosen is a star, but it might be too soon for him, even including him in the squad at this stage.

i would let him get another currie cup season under his belt and send him on the EOYT where he can stamp his mark.
after he gets a taste and then another spXV season and God willing he remains fit, 2012 would be nothing more then a distant memory,,,,not that theres anything wrong with the Boks in 2012, still early days and winning 3 from 5 test matches is still pretty good.

 He hasn't proven enough yet, is young and coming off a major injury. Confidence is everything - especially in a young player. Let him play the Currie Cup and next year S14.

His impact would be minimized anyway with the current Bok gameplan -  apart from perhaps better kicking accuracy. 

 Lets watch his form over the next 4 weeks. If he is playing as well as he was, then he is a must for the home games vs All Blacks and Australia. 

What is he plays Super15 next year and gets injured and misses the tests. The guy is ready.

It is a 2 birds with one stone. We bring in a complete flyhalf and replace a robot zombie

Unless there is to be a drastic change in the game plan - I would not support the inclusion of Goosen in the team.   It would destroy him and dent his career as a player badly.

Seems Naka's sound common sense is correct.

Muncher the problem re the Bok pack was that 5 of my power players were missing. End of story.

The other three could not quite carry the load - although the forwards generally were not too bad against a very good and highly motivated Argie outfit. Problem was more the predictability etc. as explained ad nauseaum.

What happened to the great player better than Carter and Cruden according to you not so clever mike ??? Plays half a game for the Cheetahs and then dragged. Don't use him in the Boks you say?? Why not use yr best players? Don't you want to win?

beeno so your wonderfull game plan is centered around 5 players ???? so the whole system needs to make provision for those ball carriers. my approach calls for balance. a breakdown specialst that allows your bal carriers the laze it our in the backline and plow through the defence systems.

i will give you some credit for sticking to your guns but me and the rest of the forum harping on that the over use of ball carriers wont work might only come home when we are winless after this champs.

on the issue of goosen i agree with mike he plays well in naka's game pattern so to choose him in the HM meyers style of play might as well break him in half. in the cheetahs dynamic playing pattern he fits in well and plays like he sees it. where at the boks if he is pigeon holed i cant see him having the same level of influence

2 coaches with 2 complete different approaches. i prefer naka's type of coaching and playing pattern any day above this what we have been treated to since the pom series.

these games just prove how rubbish the english really was in june here in SA