Marnitz Boshoff
The win his Junior Springbok team scored in Sunday’s exciting age-group semifinal in New Zealand may have prevented Handre Pollard from making his senior debut much quicker than he may have anticipated.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has made no secret of how highly he regards Pollard and has indicated that the Bulls pivot is definitely under consideration for next year’s World Cup. There were whispers earlier this month that Pollard could find himself getting an opportunity for the Boks as early as sometime during the June series if the Junior Boks got knocked out early, with everything hinging on their pool game against the Kiwis 10 days ago.
Had the Junior Boks made an early exit, Pollard could have been the solution to a potential flyhalf crisis in the squad now that Johan Goosen is doubtful for the rest of the series because of a knee injury sustained in this past weekend’s 38-16 win over Wales in Durban. Goosen limped off not long after coming onto the field and Meyer admitted afterwards that Goosen was the big concern looking ahead to next week’s second test in Nelspruit.
SuperSport
With Pollard now committed to an important final later in the week, Lions No 10 Marnitz Boshoff could well find himself getting game time off the bench in Nelspruit, although it also has to be said that Ruan Pienaar sent out a reminder at Kings Park that while he may be an unreliable bet as a starting flyhalf, he can be pretty polished as a replacement.
Pienaar certainly looked more the part when he deputized at flyhalf in the second half than he did as a scrumhalf in the match against the World XV the previous week, though to be fair it has to be conceded that the Boks got the ball back from the breakdowns far quicker in the first test of the season than they did in Cape Town.
Fourie du Preez would have rivalled Willie le Roux and Francois Louw for the right to be recognised as South Africa’s most valuable player against Wales, with the vice-captain’s polished performance at the base and around the fringes playing a significant role in injecting much more incisiveness to the back division and to the Bok attacking play in general than was the case the previous week.
And with Du Preez back alongside him, Morne Steyn provided one of his best allround performances at flyhalf, thus erasing, at least for now, what seems to be a perennial question mark hanging over the incumbent.
Meyer said last week that he is trying to negotiate with Du Preez’s Japanese employers to have him available for the bulk of the 2014 international season, and on the evidence of his showing in Durban, it is to be hoped that he succeeds in that quest.
Apart from the probable change to the bench, the only other possible change for Nelspruit may be the return of Flip van der Merwe for Bakkies Botha at lock. Botha went off with the flare up of an Achilles tendon complaint at the 40 minute mark in Durban and is also a doubtful starter for the second test, but even if he wasn’t, it should be assumed that Van der Merwe would be the first choice back-up to Eben Etzebeth as the No 4 lock.
Not that there was anything wrong with Botha’s performance in a first half where, apart from a dicey opening four minutes, the Bok forwards completely dominated their opponents.
Would be really nice for Marnitz Boshoff to get his first test in his home town.
@ Bullscot:
Wouldn’t that be something for the young man, great stuff!
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volgens Goosie se pa het hy n soft tissue injurie op die plek gekry waar hy op sy knie geopereer is
The news is that Johan Goosen is not seriously injured…
Fears that flyhalf Johan Goosen could face another lengthy injury-enforced lay-off have been allayed.
Despite lasting just five minutes, after coming on as a second half replacement in the Springboks’ 38-16 (five tries to one) demolition of Wales in Durban at the weekend, the knee injury does not seem as serious as first thought.
Bok team doctor Craig Roberts revealed Goosen might even be available to face Wales in the return Test in Nelspruit this coming Saturday.
The young flyhalf took a knock to the outside of his knee soon after coming on for Morné Steyn in the 69th minute and left the field soon afterwards.
It says a lot about Goosen’s psychology, normally he would maybe have played on on Saturday, but he left the field frustrated that it could be another long term injury to halt his frustrating career.
I hope he comes back from the Racing stint, stronger, better, fitter and happier.
@ MacroBok:
jong ek dink die sielkundige aspek is by hom al erger as die beserings self, en dit is besig om sy ongelooflike potesiaal af te breek, hoop ook hy kan n paar jaar beserings vry wees
@ smallies:
ja mens kon sien sy kop het gesak, amper in ongeloof. hys baie bang vir beserings, wat verstaanbaar is.
@ smallies:
Daai is baie waar, selfvertroue vir so n belowende speler wat aanhoudend ‘bad luck’ is, om dit te behou….
Heng, ek hoop die klong se geluk draai n slag.
Soos Macro se, miskien is Frankryk op hierdie stadium die regte ding om daai ”áap op die skouer” te gaan afskud.
Gelukkig is hy nog lekker jonk.
@ Pietman:
jdv was net so injurie prone gewes
@ smallies:
Ek onthou!
JdeV in sy eerste toets in NZ op vleuel #11….14 minute oppie veld en knieg moer toe!
Snaaks dat jy dit noem, sy pa woon in De Kelders af in die pad van ons, Andre, aangename ou, maak altyd tyd vir rugbygeselsies met die plaaslike ondersteuners, en hy het laas daar by n pel van my aangekom en presies oor dit gesels….oor Jean se begintyd en die beserings wat hom amper ‘gekniehalter’ en sy loopbaan kortgeknip het.
En kyk vandag….. so daar is hoop vir jong Goosen .
die probleem is ook goosen het nou al verskeie groot beserings gehad, sy knieg en sy skouer
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