White full of praise for Goosen: ‘If he plays a full game, we will be there at the end'
Bulls boss Jake White believes his star flyhalf, Johan Goosen, is as good as any No 10 in the world when he is on song. Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
Bulls director of rugby Jake White has spoken of the impact he expects star flyhalf Johan Goosen to make for the team in their United Rugby Championship final against Leinster in Dublin on Saturday (kick-off 6pm).
The URC's 2023 Golden Boot Award winner, already injury-prone throughout his career, suffered a knee injury last month that looked like it would end his career.
The 32-year-old missed the Bulls' 18th-round match against Dragons and their quarter-final against Edinburgh, but was back for their semi-final win over the Sharks. There, he started and played 53 minutes, slotting a penalty kick and one of two possible conversions.
As good as any other flyhalf
'When he is on song, he can be as good as any other 10 in the world,' White said.
'For a guy who has played 13 Tests, when he was a schoolboy prodigy, people probably thought he could play 100 Test matches.'
White said Goosen had the skill sets to 'do anything', being quick and having accuracy and a mind for different plays.
'He has been unlucky injured, back injured, then he had that time he had to retire for a year when he was at Racing Metro…'
The Bulls coach said what put Goosen back was that he hadn't played enough rugby in the last five to seven years. When Goosen was at his peak, he was battling injury (an anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2014 and a neck injury in 2016, which was followed by a hiatus lasting almost 18 months).
Goosen battles injury in the prime of his career
'I'm talking about in the prime of his career… He's 32, but he would say 30 but with two years' experience.
'I coached him a long time and I got him to Montpellier when I was at Montpellier. He can play. In the year he was at Racing [2015/16], he played 13 when Dan Carter played 10, and he was the player of the tournament in the Top 14.'
White said not many players can win player of the year as an outside back in a tournament that has so many star backline players from around the world.
'To be fair, I know he didn't play a full game [against the Sharks] on the weekend. If he plays a full game this weekend, we will be there at the end.'
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