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Cape Town - Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has urged flyhalf Johan Goosen to just "be himself" when he makes his first start for the Springboks against the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Goosen was on Wednesday picked ahead of Morné Steyn at No 10, with Steyn dropping out of the 22-man squad altogether, with Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies included on the bench.
The Boks have been criticised for following a conservative kick-and-chase game plan with Steyn at the helm. However, Steyn's poor form has led to his axing and also an apparent change in mindset from Meyer.
The coach hinted on Wednesday that he wants his players to play the situation instead of following a rigid game plan.
"Every player has carte blanche to play it like he sees it," Meyer told Beeld. "It was just tough in an away game against New Zealand. He (Goosen) has to bring something different to the team, that's why I picked him. But we also have to be realistic: You can't expect a 20-year-old to win the match and score five tries."
So with Goosen having "carte blanche" to play the situation, a change in game plan may well be on the cards for the home side, especially with Meyer also expecting the Wallabies to play an open, expansive game.
"If you look at the previous games on the highveld, they (Australia) opened up the game from the kick-off, kept the ball in hand," Meyer told SAPA.
"I think that is probably why they will go with (Kurtley) Beale at 10 as well.
"Their intention will be to move us around and to run us around and hope we will tire."
So will the Boks apply more of a running game with Goosen at the helm? Only time will tell come 17:00 on Saturday...
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:
TBA
Goosen was on Wednesday picked ahead of Morné Steyn at No 10, with Steyn dropping out of the 22-man squad altogether, with Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies included on the bench.
The Boks have been criticised for following a conservative kick-and-chase game plan with Steyn at the helm. However, Steyn's poor form has led to his axing and also an apparent change in mindset from Meyer.
The coach hinted on Wednesday that he wants his players to play the situation instead of following a rigid game plan.
"Every player has carte blanche to play it like he sees it," Meyer told Beeld. "It was just tough in an away game against New Zealand. He (Goosen) has to bring something different to the team, that's why I picked him. But we also have to be realistic: You can't expect a 20-year-old to win the match and score five tries."
So with Goosen having "carte blanche" to play the situation, a change in game plan may well be on the cards for the home side, especially with Meyer also expecting the Wallabies to play an open, expansive game.
"If you look at the previous games on the highveld, they (Australia) opened up the game from the kick-off, kept the ball in hand," Meyer told SAPA.
"I think that is probably why they will go with (Kurtley) Beale at 10 as well.
"Their intention will be to move us around and to run us around and hope we will tire."
So will the Boks apply more of a running game with Goosen at the helm? Only time will tell come 17:00 on Saturday...
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:
TBA
