Cape Town — Seeing Johan Goosen in the flesh for the first time on the big stage made me understand the hype around the young Free Stater.
The then-20-year-old came onto the pitch for the last 10 minutes for his Test debut — Duane Vermeulen also earned his first cap that night at the Subiaco Oval — in the Springboks’ Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies in Perth in 2012, and immediately set the scene alight with a couple of sparkling runs, while he slotted a long-range penalty as well.
The Boks lost 26-19 in the end, but Goosen had shown in his cameo that he was ready to take over the No 10 jersey from a battling Morné Steyn.
A few days later, while the Boks trained in Auckland ahead of the All Black Test in Dunedin, Goosen was slotting penalties sweetly from the halfway line, and I went over to chief selector Peter Jooste and said: “This laaitie is ready. Convince Heyneke (Meyer, Bok coach) to start him on Saturday.”
Jooste smiled and said he was impressed by Goosen, and that he will discuss the flyhalf situation with Meyer.
Disappointingly, the Bok coach opted to stick with his Bulls stalwart instead of blooding the Cheetahs protégé at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and Steyn was off his game once more in a 21-11 defeat — a match that the South Africans really should have won.
Over the next four years, Goosen played in just 11 more Tests, and we all know about his troubles in France and subsequent retirement from the sport, having once been chosen as the French Top 14 Player of the Season.
But it looks like the now-30-year-old will get a chance to resurrect his Test career on the upcoming November tour, where the Boks will face Ireland, France, Italy and England, with Handre Pollard currently injured and uncertainty around Elton Jantjies.
Bok boss Jacques Nienaber has said previously that Goosen is the next-in-line at flyhalf, despite the form shown by the likes of Manie Libbok, Chris Smith, Gianni Lombard and even Sacha Mngomezulu in the United Rugby Championship.
On Saturday, Goosen has an ideal opportunity to prove to Nienaber and Bok fans whether he is ready to wear the No 10 jersey at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on November 5.
He is sure to start for the Bulls in their URC showdown against Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick (8.35pm SA time kick-off), having sat out last week’s loss to Glasgow at Scotstoun Stadium due to the 4G pitch — with Jake White unwilling to risk him on a similar surface to the one he sustained a serious knee injury on in Cardiff last October.
Goosen began his return from an 11-month layoff at fullback against Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld a few weeks ago, where he eased himself back into action, before he was the pivot against Connacht a week later.
It was a better performance the second time around, but he still didn’t quite hit his straps.
Now, after a week off, Munster loom. The Irish giants may be battling at the moment, having lost three out of four games this season under new head coach Graham Rowntree, including last week’s 20-11 defeat to Connacht in Galway.
But they are back at Thomond Park after six months, following the installation of a new pitch, and will be driven to put on a show for their passionate fans.
Goosen could also come up against an Irish Test flyhalf candidate in Joey Carbery, who featured at fullback against Connacht, but needs game-time at No 10 if he is to be Johnny Sexton’s back-up during the November internationals and next year’s Six Nations and Rugby World Cup.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bok assistant coach and former Munster and Ireland fullback Felix Jones — who is based in Dublin to monitor the European-based SA players — taking a trip to his former home ground at Thomond Park this weekend.
Goosen will hope that he can also make Jones understand the hype around him after watching him in the flesh … This is his chance to remove any doubt about his fitness and form.
IOL Sport