The bad news for the Bulls is that Johan Goosen is set to be sidelined for up to three months, but the good news is that Jake White is confident that Boeta Chamberlain can run the show in today’s United Rugby Championship derby against the Lions at Ellis Park (2.45pm start).
Goosen went off in the first half of last week’s 48-7 Champions Cup clash against Stade Francais with a knee injury, and while the worst was feared, he is set to return to action around April – in time for the business end of the season.
White said yesterday after naming Chamberlain at flyhalf instead of Willie le Roux – who was an option at No 10, but will play off the bench this afternoon – that Goosen had a knee “clean-out” and that it was not an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which would have ruled him out for the rest of the season.
But for Goosen and the Bulls to be in URC title contention by securing a home playoff, they will need Chamberlain to grab his opportunity to impose himself on the side and take charge, starting with the Lions Jukskei Derby today.
“He (Chamberlain) was really good (against Stade Francais), and he’s getting confidence. He kicked conversions, penalties, scored a try... So, he’s obviously enjoying the fact that he is being backed as well, and we’ve been working with him the whole season,” White said.
“Even when he’s not been in and around the team, he’s been working with the other squad, and making sure that if anything happens with a 10, he can slot in.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him playing tomorrow, when he knows he is starting tomorrow. Goosen will be back at the end of the derbies, and it gives Boeta and Jaco van der Walt time to establish themselves at flyhalf.”
Le Roux and Canan Moodie were surprisingly left on the bench, but the Bulls boss feels that they can shore up the team’s second-half efforts against a vibrant Lions outfit who will stretch them on defence with ball-in-hand.
White wasn’t too happy with the final 20 minutes against Stade last week, and is wary of a repeat against a Lions side who can hurt the Pretoria visitors with their attacking approach.
“(Le Roux and Moodie) and Nizaam (Carr) and Akker (van der Merwe): four Springboks on the bench. It gives me confidence that if we finish with those four guys on the field,” White said.
“Some people would want to start with Willie and Canan, but I know that sometimes you’ve got to back players.
“Sergeal (Petersen) has trained well, and needs to be rewarded for that. He’s gone through an injury when he’s sat out for a long time, and the energy he brings to the team is because he knows how it is to have been out.
“One area where we were poor last week was the bench, where we lost a bit of shape and we weren’t accurate in all departments – lineouts, handling, whatever.
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“The challenge I’ve given them this week is that with a bench like that, we’ve got to sure that we’ve got to be a lot more accurate and organised than we were in the last 20 minutes last Saturday.
“Historically, it’s a tough game for us. A lot of those guys live in Pretoria, and a lot of those were here and probably up their game because it’s almost a way of showing that they could’ve played for the Bulls rather than move to the Lions.”
Bulls Team
15 Devon Williams 14 Sebastian de Klerk 13 David Kriel 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sergeal Petersen 10 Boeta Chamberlain 9 Embrose Papier 8 Cameron Hanekom 7 Elrigh Louw (co-captain) 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Ruan Nortjé (co-captain) 4 Cobus Wiese 3 Wilco Louw 2 Johan Grobbelaar 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Bench: 16 Akker van der Merwe 17 Alulutho Tshakweni 18 Francois Klopper 19 Reinhardt Ludwig 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Keagan Johannes 22 Willie le Roux 23 Canan Moodie.