Goosen out again

His knee is stuffed, another op on the cards - what a sad loss

Rugby 365

Springbok Johan Goosen will undergo surgery again, after injuring his knee in a freak training ground accident.

Cheetahs team manager Eugene van Wyk told this website in an interview from the team's base in Sydney that Goosen slipped at training and damaged his cruciate ligaments in his left knee.

He will return to South Africa on Thursday, when a decision about when he will go under the knife will be made.

"It is a serious injury," Van Wyk told this website, adding that it is not the same injury as last year - when he damaged medial ligaments in the Test against New Zealand in Soweto.

Goosen, who also had to overcome a painful heel injury, had recovered from last year's surgery just in time for the start of the season and featured in all four of the Cheetahs' Super Rugby matches - defeats against the Sharks and Chiefs, to go along with wins over the Highlanders and Waratahs.

The 20-year-old flyhalf, who also missed the latter half of last year's Super Rugby season with a shoulder injury which he sustained against the Highlanders in April, was busy regaining the kind of form that saw him receive a call-up to the national team in 2012.

Van Wyk said that while the duration of his latest lay-off will only be determined once he had gone under the knife in Bloemfontein, the MRI scans taken in Sydney showed that the cruciate ligaments have been "torn off".

"It is one of those freakish things that happens," the Cheetahs manager told this website, adding that either utility Riaan Smit or Burton Francis will start at flyhalf against the Western Force on Saturday.

A final call on Goosen's replacement will be made on Tuesday and at this stage Smit is the most likely to wear the No.10 jersey, with Francis - who joined the team in Australia last week - set to play off the bench.

The latest setback looks set to leave the talented young pivot kicking his heels in frustration for another season.

Considered to be one of the brightest up-and-coming players in South Africa, Goosen made his Springbok debut against Australia in September last year. He came off the bench as replacement for Morné Steyn in the 59th minute of the game in Perth.

The following two weekends he was in the starting line-up for the Boks, but unfortunately suffered a knee injury against the All Blacks in Soweto.

* Meanwhile Van Wyk confirmed that loose forward Frans Viljoen suffered a tear in his calf and he will also return home on Thursday.

"We may fly in a loose forward, but I am waiting to hear who it will be," he added.

Just too damn fragile.

Injury prone.

The Bokke need somone a little tougher. Say like my grandmother.

Makes me think of Charlie Weir.  Had a right hand second to none ... but a glass jaw to go with it.

This narrows the Bok 10 search down to ... well ... Lambie I guess.

Jean de Villiers went through a series of injuries like this, and emerged as a war horse. Perhaps Goosen will eventually do the same.

It's frustrating though, because this lad is an unusual talent. As with Big Joe, Bobby Skinstad, Marius Joubert and Jean de Villiers....we have lost much of his exciting early years.

This is a youngster with knee issues ... already ...  consistently on the injured list ... very little game time ... then back on the injured list.

Indeed frustrating.

It seems that one needs more than just talent

I can't remember what it was that took Jean out of the 07WC. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it an elbow injury.

My point is that Goosen suffers from consistent leg injuries. The team depends upon his leaned boot. Would he even be considered as a potential 10 if he didn't have this skill? I don't think so.

Jean's skills lie elsewhere. Same goes for Big Joe, Skinstad and Joubert. 

Goosen's injury is career threatening. Without strong healthy legs the man becomes just another wasted talent.

Jean's first big injury was against France in his first Bok start....and a knee. But in that case he had tackled a player and swung round to fetch, he then had his leg trapped the wrong way. Any players knee would have gone the way it was trapped.

Joubert also had a knee issue against the ABs, I believe in his first test.

But, I agree,  Goosen does appear to be particularly vulnerable

 Jean started his career with a light build like Goosen, but when he muscled up he appeared to become more robust. Not sure how much this would do for leg injuries but hopefully it is just an unlucky patch.

Incidently the Cheetas were also playing well last year until Goosens injury

At 20, Goosen has plenty of time on his side - lets just hope he is back for the CC

its a shame but im hardly surprised, look for connie to be in the same boat at some stage during the spXV.

the body of some folks just physically cant handle that level of rugby which is a pity, cos goosen has all the skills and then some.

this is also puts a difintive no in the carter comparions, cos while carter has had injuries in his career, nothing in his early career which comes even remotely close to what goosen is experiencing.

silver lining though, lambies got the No10 hands down now & both janties & taute are improving with every game for the stormers, so they will be natural backups of rthe Boks flyhalf & back.
i also think that this has increased krichners reselection chances big time.
 

 Apparently he injured himself practising goal kicks. Their was no one near him when he injured himself, so it was not even taking contact. 

He must be devasted, and left wondering if injury is going to plague the remainder of his career. It will surely effect his speed if he keeps injurying his leg. 

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Traggic, as he is the best flyhalf from South Africa in ages. It would be nice to see him play like 10-20 back to back matches for the boks

Rugby | Vodacom Super Rugby

Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines after injuring his knee during a team training session in Sydney on Monday.

Goosen was practising his kicking when he slipped and fell, hurting his knee in what was later diagnosed as a serious cruciate ligament tear, meaning at least a six-month spell on the sidelines.

The Cheetahs pivot will therefore miss the incoming tests and probably the majority of the Castle Rugby Championship if the injury is confirmed when he gets back to Bloemfontein later this week.

“It was a freak accident,” Cheetahs team manager Eugene van Wyk told Supersport.com, “He is a bit down, there was nobody near him at the time and he slipped while kicking balls during practice.”

He is due to fly back on Thursday and will immediately undergo surgery to start his rehabilitation.

Goosen, who is still only 20, was a sensation since bursting onto the international rugby scene and played for the Springboks last year, although he was off for a large part of the season with various problems, including shoulder, foot and knee injuries.

The Cheetahs are likely to bring in Riaan Smit, with Burton Francis moving onto the bench for the injured Goosen, with no replacement likely to be called up.

The injury is not only a blow to the Cheetahs but also to the Boks as Goosen would have had a good chance of making the Bok 22 for the test matches this year, and the injury now further clouds his short, but eventful career.

They need to assess this man and see why he is this prone to injury. If he was just kicking a ball and slipped, he is more fragile than we thought. That is a lot of damage to sustain with no contact involved dont you think?

Did this man maybe dabble in steroids to get bigger quickly? Problem with steroids is that it makes you stronger and fills the muscle with water but it doesn't strengthen your joints as fast as your muscles. Its not uncommon to have bodybuilders pop biceps and break joints as their muscles can bench 200kgs but their joints cant handle that pressure.

Anyhow, he needs to get to be assessed. Maybe he is just brittle!

I don’t rate Goosen as the best 10 in South Africa. It’s way too early to make that call.

Taute is not and should never be consider a 10 backup. That’s ridiculous. Maybe in absolute desperation back up for 13 … nothing else.

Rumour has it that Goosen was dropped by the Bulls because of steroids. Where there’s smoke … !!!

Bottom line is that the man is 20 and injury prone. It’s tragic.

If hitting the weights and adding 10kg of muscle to his frame helps then by all means ... he definitely needs to toughen up. 

This is monumentally kak news!!! I really rate him. We have never had a no.10 that has such a complete skills set, as well as plenty of X Factor. Hopefully he recovers quickly.

I suppose alot depends if it is a partial tear or a complete tear. My son had a Anterior Cruiate Ligament injury whilst playing football a few years back, this was a complete tear and he was unable to play for nine months. He went back to playing foot ball and a few years later out of season he was on tour surfing in Australia where he broke his neck. After a stay in hospital he was flown home and continued his treatment here in the UK. He is now having shock wave therapy on his knee for Patella tendonitis, this involves about 4,000 shocks per treatment each time. He no longer plays football but continues to surf and is into alot of Cross Fit. Good luck to the boy with the type of help that will be available to him he should make a good recovery.

I read somewhere that it is a complete tear. He did it while practising his kicking for poles - very strange

Good luck to your son MO(NH) and hope  is just a tad more careful.

As for Goosen he should go to the Sports Science Insitute for a full evaluation. Spend the rest of the year on the right conditioning work.

He is a great talent and a long term view should be taken. Being under 21 again this year he has plenty of time. Let him start afresh and ready in 2014.