Goosen, Carr return to Currie Cup action

The Vodacom Blue Bulls welcomed back Springboks Johan Goosen and Nizaam Carr for their Currie Cup clash against the Novavit Griffons in Welkom on Friday afternoon.

Goosen has missed the past six weeks with a shoulder injury after undergoing surgery while Carr was struggling with a hamstring niggle. The return of both players is an incredible boost to a side that has not won a game in this year’s Currie Cup after three rounds.

Lizo Gqoboka will captain the side with the same tight five that did duty against the Cheetahs being retained, while Carr moves into the loose trio alongside Phumzile Maqondwana and Muller Uys.

Goosen will partner Keagan Johannes behind the scrum with the talented midfield duo of Lionel Mapoe and Wandisile Simelane keeping their spots. Kabelo Mokoena comes in on the left wing to join Quewin Nortje and Franco Knoetze in the back three.

On the bench Simphiwe Matanzima has returned to South Africa from the Bulls squad for family reasons and take his place while Jacques van Rooyen left for France to join the Bulls earlier in the week, JP Alberts and Adriaan Joubert are the only other two changes made to the bench.

?? TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT ??

Here is your Vodacom Bulls team to take on the Novavit Griffons on Friday in the Currie Cup ??

Goosen and Carr return ?? pic.twitter.com/1oDSA3jSqw

— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) March 29, 2023

NOT TAKING WELKOM CHALLENGE LIGHTLY

Coach Edgar Marutlulle was a happy man at having the two Springboks back.

“If anyone offers you Goosen for your Currie Cup game, you take him at the blink of an eye. He is a world-class player who has travelled the world, represented the Springboks and played really amazing rugby in his career and so we are excited to have him with us for the Currie Cup,” he said.

“I think when some people call you a prodigal in terms of sport, where Johan has been earmarked since the age of 16,17 and there has always been that pressure of performance which he has shown at times. He has gone on to win two ‘Player of the Year’ awards during his time at the Top14 in France,”

“As a new coaching staff, we have the ability to give Johan freshness, the opportunity to give him space and a new voice where this team becomes the place where he can relax because he knows this is not the penultimate of rugby.”

Marutlulle said Carr gives the back row the balance it needs.

“We know Nizaam can play all around [6, 7, 8], he has adequate skills that bring us the all-important balance that we need in that back row. Supported by the likes of Phumzile who has done well in the opportunities he has had,”

Marutlulle is not taking the Welkom challenge lightly.

“I think this is the first time we have been able to put together a similar team together for two weekends in a row, and this is always the challenge of a franchise team. Finding consistency in selection and match-to-match performance. So we are hoping to begin seeing that cohesion and those relationships building through, continuing our momentum from the game last week,”

“We expect a difficult challenge from the Griffons in terms of what they offer physically, they have a 10 that can kick well and a 9 that can also kick for posts. They really have a mixed bag in terms of the style that they bring to the Currie Cup but we are excited for the challenge and we are really looking forward to growing and improving on last weeks performance where we were really good for 60 minutes of the game.”

TEAM:1. Lizo Gqoboka (c), 2. Jan Hendrik Wessels, 3. Robert Hunt, 4. Jacques Du Plessis, 5. Reinhardt Ludwig, 6. Phumzile Maqondwana, 7. Nizaam Carr, 8. Muller Uys, 9. Keagan Johannes, 10. Johan Goosen, 11. Kabelo Mokoena, 12. Lionel Mapoe (vc), 13. Wandisile Simelane, 14. Quewin Nortje, 15. Franco Knoetze

REPLACEMENTS: 16. Simphiwe Matanzima, 17. Joe Van Zyl, 18. Sebastian Lombard, 19. JP Alberts, 20. Mihlali Mosi, 21. Bernard van der Linde, 22. Chris Barend Smit, 23. Adriaan Joubert