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The Bulls' bid to return to the URC final just received a major boost

Johan Goosen of Vodacom Bulls during the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Vodacom Bulls at Dexcom Stadium in Galway. (Photo By Tyler Miller/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

The Bulls are set to welcome back fly-half Johan Goosen into the starting XV for their United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

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The 32-year-old has recovered from a knee operation less than a month ago to reclaim the No.10 jersey for the South African derby as the Bulls look to make back-to-back URC finals and their third in four years.

Goosen’s return marks the only change to the starting XV made by Jake White from the one that triumphed over Edinburgh in the quarter-finals in a match where the hosts were not necessarily firing on all cylinders.

The starting fly-half against the Scottish outfit, Keagan Johannes, has dropped to the bench this week, while Stedman Gans has dropped out of the matchday 23 entirely.

Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Bulls
25 - 13
Full-time
Sharks
All Stats and Data

While White has had the luxury of bringing a Springbok back into the fold, his counterpart, John Plumtree, has been less fortunate this week.

The Sharks have lost two Springboks this week: Jason Jenkins and, more disastrously, captain Eben Etzebeth.

Bulls XV
1. Jan-hendrik Wessels
2. Johan Grobbelaar
3. Wilco Louw
4. Cobus Wiese
5. JF van Heerden
6. Marcell Coetzee
7. Ruan Nortje (c)
8. Cameron Hanekom
9. Embrose Papier
10. Johan Goosen
11. Sebastian de Klerk
12. Harold Vorster
13. David Kriel
14. Canon Moodie
15. Willie le Roux

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Replacements
16. Akker van der Merwe
17. Simphiwe Matanzima
18. Mornay Smith
19. Jannes Kirsten
20. Marco van Staden
21. Zak Burger
22. Keagan Johannes
23. Devon Williams

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J
Jfp123 3 hours ago
Are Bordeaux-Begles, not Toulouse, the future of French rugby?

Really, do you really mean that? I guess you’re a supporter of UBB. Jalibert

1) doesn’t play well with France’s best 9

2) has an approx 50% tackle success rate this year at int. and club level, Rassie would be rubbing his hands with glee as he plots to exploit that!

3) is another player his teammates would have to cover for in defence, when they already have Penaud, and arguably, Ramos under the high ball, to cope with, unless you’re proposing to drop Penaud. Whereas in attack France were scoring with or without him in the last 6 nations, 200 points when he wasn’t on the pitch so why do they need him?

3) plays at 10 only, so rules out the v successful 7/1 bench when he’s playing

4) has a questionable temperament, see WC 1/4 final

5) has a v poor record in a great team at int. level. In his last 5 matches, loss v SA, heavy loss v Ireland, win by highly controversial try v Scotland, draw v Italy, loss v England.


Whereas Ntamack and Ramos both play fabulously with Dupont and Ntamack adapted seamlessly when Lucu took over from Dupont v Ireland; Ntamack has a v high tackle success rate, tackles more often and jackals; Ntamack 10 and 12 internationally, Ramos 10 and 15 - both have played with 7/1 bench; both Ntamack and Ramos superb big match temperament, scoring when it counts; France has been flying high when they’re playing.


If Jalibert played for a nation struggling to score with a strong defence, he might be worth a pick, but he plays for France.

Also, lately I’m wondering if he’s quite so effective in attack as some people seem to believe. He is certainly good and has the flashy moves, but look at the Top14 stats, they suggest his game management isn’t quite what it should be. If I’m picking a fantasy team I sink my money on the wings, as they score most. Jalibert is playing with the two top wings in France, arguably the world, his scrum half is France’s best with Dupont injured for most of the season, the other backs and the forwards are all top class, but that isn’t reflected in the stats. Points for ST 891, UBB 762; Points ag ST 462, UBB 609; points diff 429 v 153, and that’s when for much of the season, the ST player in the crucial 9 position, with the best will in the world is pretty average, and can’t be rated among the top 6 in the Top14.


If Galthier picks Jalibert again, I’ll know his head’s fallen off! Allez les blues!

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