Goosen: No surgery required
The Cheetahs' Springbok flyhalf, Johan Goosen, does not require surgery for the heel injury that is troubling him.
Cheetahs backline coach Hawies Fourie told this website in an interview on Wednesday that even though Goosen still requires treatment, and won't feature in the team to meet the Bulls in a pre-season outing in Polokwane on Saturday, he will be fit for the start of the season on February 23.
While his knee surgery in October last year grabbed most of the headlines, a heel injury also caused him considerable discomfort – so much so that it affected his goal-kicking in the same Test against the All Blacks in Soweto where he injured the knee.
And while the knee rehabilitation has been a success, the Cheetahs medical staff sent him to a specialist for scans after he continued to feel discomfort on the heel when he lined up goal-kicks.
"Johan [Goosen] is still in Johannesburg," Fourie said, adding: "There is still some bruising in the heel and he won't play at the weekend.
"He will receive some injections in the heel to help him recuperate faster and he will be 100 percent [ready to play] when we face the Sharks [in the opening round of the competition] in just over a fortnight."
Fourie said it is "great news" that the 20-year-old No.10 does not require surgery.
"They said there are no bone fragments or anything and they are happy with that."
In the absence of Goosen Boland import Elgar Watts will play at flyhalf against the Bulls on Saturday.
With the exception of a few injured players the Cheetahs have named their best available team, with veteran Bok loose forward Juan Smith again set to play off the bench.
The team will be captained by Bok vice-captain Adriaan Strauss.
The good news is that centre Robert Ebersohn appears to have overcome the flu bug that troubled him this week and was named alongside Bulls import Johan Sadie in the midfield.
The players still missing through injury includes three high-profile Springboks – Goosen, prop Coenie Oosthuizen and loose forward Heinrich Brüssow.
Cheetahs: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Johan Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Rynhardt Landman, 19 Juan Smith, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Hennie Daniller, 23 Hansie Graaff.
Date: Saturday, February 9
Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: Ben Crouse
By Jan de Koning
