Ex Keo
Injured flyhalf Johan Goosen is expected to make his return to competitive rugby in Round 4 of the Currie Cup.
Goosen has made good progress with his shoulder rehabilitation, but won’t be fit to play before the Cheetahs’ match against the Sharks on 1 September. This means he will miss the Cheetahs’ first three matches.
The Cheetahs utilised Riaan Smit and Sias Ebersohn in the flyhalf position after Goosen was seriously injured in Round 10 of the Super Rugby competition. Smit is expected to start at No 10 when the Cheetahs play the Cardiff Blues in a warm-up match this Saturday, and in the opening rounds of the Currie Cup.
Goosen has been tipped as a future Springbok by South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer, and this website understands that Meyer is intent on using Goosen in the Rugby Championship. It seems likely that Goosen will miss the overseas leg of this tournament, and make his Test debut in the home matches.
Alternatively, he will come into the Test picture when the Boks tour Europe in November.
Meanwhile, Sarel Pretorius, who played for the Waratahs in the recent Super Rugby competition, looks likely to play off the bench for the Cheetahs this season.
Scrumhalf Piet van Zyl was not part of the official Springbok squad named to face England in June, but was invited to train with the team. As another who has been identified as a potential Bok, Van Zyl is set to enjoy plenty of starting opportunities
Goosen must NOT be rushed at any cost. He needs to play some warm up club games etc.
As for Sarel how he probably regrets going to the Warts from a rugby point of view. Van Zyl started like a house on fire and then faded as time went on. Needs to rekindle that early fire and form which appears to have been dousedby the hardships of Super 15 rugby. Showed a lot of promise in those early matches.
