Rugby Championship
Goosen can handle pressure
2012-09-27 14:11
Johannesburg - Springbok vice-captain and hooker Adriaan Strauss says Johan Goosen is unlikely to buckle under the pressure when he starts his first Test against Australia on Saturday.
National coach Heyneke Meyer made a surprise decision on Wednesday when he named the 20-year-old Goosen in place of Morne Steyn for the Rugby Championship match in Pretoria.
“Maybe he will be a bit nervous and just be in the moment," Strauss said of his Cheetahs team-mate.
"I don’t think the nerves will get the better of him.
“He is the player that I’ve come up against and met in my life that can handle pressure the best.
“It looks like he can’t feel pressure and hopefully he can perform well this weekend.”
Strauss said the final quarter of the Test would be crucial against the Australians at altitude.
The Wallabies have won their last two matches in South Africa and the two sides last met at altitude in Bloemfontein in 2010.
“The last 20 minutes in every game is probably the most important," Strauss said.
"It is vital to build the momentum throughout the game and then at the end you must finish them and execute well in the last couple of minutes.
“We are on the highveld now and the last 20 minutes is going to be tough.”
The clash at Loftus kicks off at 17:00.
Teams:South Africa:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Francois Steyn/Jaco Taute, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Jaco Taute/Juan de Jongh, 22 Patrick Lambie
Australia:
15 Berrick Barnes, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe (captain), 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson
Substitutes: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Scott Higginbotham, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Anthony Fainga'a