Goosen plays through the pain

Vodacom Bulls flyhalf Johan Goosen says it was “very tough” to be sidelined for two-and-a-half months with yet another knee injury.

The 32-year-old limped off the field during the Bulls’ final Champions Cup pool match against Stade Francais at Loftus on 18 January, with coach Jake White commenting afterwards that “he’s got knees like crystal”.

On Sunday, Goosen made his return off the Bulls’ bench in the 65th minute of their Challenge Cup round-of-16 win in Bayonne.

“I’ve been through this [before],” he told the media on Tuesday. “It’s been tough, this time was very tough for me.

“I’ve still got a bit of pain but I must say the coaches are managing me well and I’m just happy to wear the jersey again and to have got 15 minutes on the weekend. Hopefully in a week or two the pain will be better.”

Goosen said it was good to return to France, where he played for Racing 92 and Montpellier, while being back in the Bulls mix.

“The whole vibe with their rugby and supporters is great.

“It did feel a bit weird before the game,” he added. “You don’t know how you should feel and when you’re on the bench you don’t know when you will go on.”

A fit-and-firing Goosen is an automatic selection at 10 for the Bulls, but that will change next season following the return of Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard to Pretoria.

“I’ve played with Polly at Montpellier,” Goosen said. “Obviously he’s won two World Cups and is a good player and a good signing for the Bulls. In terms of my contract, I still have one season left at the Bulls, so I’m just taking it day by day and trying to be the best I can be for the team.”

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Goosen is set to be named in the Bulls’ 23 for Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final against Edinburgh, who are coached by Sean Everitt, formerly of the Sharks and, briefly, the Bulls.

“Coach Sean is a great guy and a great coach. I think he will have a few tricks up his sleeve. On a 4G artificial pitch [at Hive Stadium] they play a fast game and we’ve got a big pack, so I think they will try to move us around. They’ve got dangerous outside backs so we will have to try keep the ball away from them.

“It’s also a difficult place to play, the wind can be a factor, but we’ve played there before and have some plans.”

ALSO: Bulls adopt ‘smart’ approach to KO Edinburgh

Photo: Tyler Miller/Getty Images