Goose ready to fly for Cheetahs
Exciting young flyhalf Johan Goosen returns to the Cheetahs starting line-up for their Currie Cup semifinal against the defending champions Sharks at Kings Park on Saturday.
The SA Under-20 playmaker, who has taken the Currie Cup by storm this season with a series of impressive performances, suffered a concussion in his team’s clash with the table-topping Lions three weeks ago but he has recovered and will be unleashed in the Shark Tank this weekend.
He is most likely to square up to French international Frederic Michalak in what should be just one of a number of intriguing head-to-heads in the knock-out battle.
In other changes to the Cheetahs team that despatched the Griquas in Bloemfontein last week, Philip van der Walt moves from flank to lock in place of hard-working Francois Uys who suffered a rib injury last week.
Van der Walt’s spot on the side of the scrum is taken by Ashley Johnson who moves from No.8 to make way for dynamic Sevens star Boom Prinsloo, giving the Free Staters’ forwards pack a very mobile look to it.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské believes that these changes will have a positive impact on the performance of his pack as they seek to move the powerful Sharks forwards around as much as possible.
He told this website: “Boom Prinsloo has been great off the bench the whole season, Francois Uys is injured at lock, so we were forced to move Philip van der Walt to lock – I feel that is a good move.
“Certainly, with Philip [van der Walt] at lock, he will give you the same work-rate [as you get at flank from him] and Boom [Prinsloo] also has a great work-rate – you will also get great work from Pieter Labuschagne – Ashley [Johnson] is more a player that gives you momentum… so I feel that is a good combination,” he explained.
Right wing Ryno Benjamin, a former SA Sevens star, comes back into the team and he takes the place of Nico Scheepers who drops to the bench.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Ashley Johnson, 6 Pieter Labuschagne, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Philip van der Walt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Johan Wessels, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Nico Scheepers.
Date: Saturday, October 22
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 14.30 (12.30 GMT)
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant referees: Lesego Legoete, Marc van Zyl
TMO: JC Fortuin
