VIDEO - Goosen expects tough battle against Dragons
VIDEO: Bulls pivot Johan Goosen calls it like it is and says everyone expects them to beat the Dragons in Round 12 of the United Rugby Championship in Newport this weekend.
And while the Welsh side is second lowest on the log and should be easy takings for the second-placed Bulls, the 31-year old Goosen believes it will still be a tough task in the wet and sluggish conditions.
“It’s a tough game to go and play there. The weather is not nice, it is what it is.
“Everyone expects us to win but it won’t be an easy game. So we are taking this really seriously. We’ve been training hard and we’ve got the right mindset for this game,” he told reporters earlier in the week.
The former Cheetahs, Racing 92 and Montpellier No. 10 joined the Bulls in 2021, making an immediate impact in the side.
There is no denying that his accurate kicking heroics have been instrumental in victories for all the teams he has represented in his career.
One particular kick, the late penalty from inside his own half against the Lions at Loftus in Pretoria earlier in the season, sent the Bulls into the URC top four after a thrilling 30-28 victory and a pivotal moment in their season.
Goosen is currently second on the URC list of top points scorers with 98 behind Ben Healy (Edinburgh) who has amassed 111 points with the boot thus far this season.
The Bulls have been victorious over the Dragons the last two years, beating them by 55-20 in 2022 and 29-14 in 2023.
“Last year was quite a tough game there. The weather is quite tough there so you can’t not take this as a big game.
“The Dragons, even though they are at the bottom of the log, we take this as a serious game. We’ve got two games on tour so we need to be focused on the first one and get the job done,” Goosen said.
The prolific goalkicker also struggled with niggling injuries last and by his own admission was not at the top of his game.
“Last season was a difficult season for me, I had quite a bit of injuries. It’s not always easy to play with niggles when you try to be the best for your team.
“This season no injuries, no niggles. So my body is feeling well and I am positive.
“It’s quite nice to train without pain so you can focus on the stuff you need to do during the week for the game.
“I must say, the body is feeling well this season.”
This season he has been in prolific form, effortlessly connecting with scrumhalf Embrose Papier, who is back to his best form from two or three seasons ago, and linking with the Bulls’ lethal back three and centre combinations.
“If you look at our back three, David [Kriel], Stedman [Gans], you can throw in names there. If we can get the ball to Kurt-Lee [Arendse], Willie [le Roux] and [Canan] Moodie, it’s quite nice to see what they can do with the ball.
“My job is to get the team in the right direction and play in the right areas of the field. It’s nice to have those guys at the back and they can do fancy stuff.”
