Now that the nerves are gone, Johannes is just enjoying the ride

Keagan Johannes may well have been a regular flyhalf at schoolboy level, revelling in the position for Garsfontein years ago, but there is no way in his wildest dreams he would have imagined donning the 10 jersey for a Vodacom United Rugby Championship semifinal.

But this weekend Johannes is likely to run out at 10 - a makeshift move that has resulted in him becoming the Vodacom Bulls’ general ahead of their crucial match against the Hollywoodbets Sharks for a place in the final next weekend.

If there are nerves, Johannes doesn’t show them. He has a keen smile, friendly demeanor and is often seen as one of the happier players in the team. Until the flyhalf crisis hit this season, he was on the backburner, playing second fiddle at halfback to Embrose Papier and Zak Burger and getting very little game time.

LAST MAN STANDING

But with injuries to Jaco van der Walt and Johan Goosen, and Boeta Chamberlain also presumably ruled out, Johannes was the last man standing at a practice session earlier this season when he was approached by coach Jake White and his backline assistant Chris Rossouw, and immediately jumped at the possibility.

And riding the wave as the Bulls have stomped their way through the season, being the competition’s highest scoring team, Johannes has thrived.

Yet, it wasn’t all clicking despite him putting in some decent performances at 10 - until a halftime chat against Edinburgh in the quarterfinal seemed to up the ante.

Johannes had missed a few kicks at goal when White approached him and told him to back himself.

HALFTIME PEP TALK

The pep talk, however brief it was, did wonders and Johannes revelled as the Bulls opened their second half with three tries in 13 minutes - one of them that came from him seeing a stunning gap and then stepping his way past the last line of defence.

It was a moment that many may have put down to another simple try in a long season, but for those following the Bulls closely it was a moment they had been waiting for. Johannes had backed himself and showed why there is so much belief in him.

And now they’re all waiting for him to kick on.

The flyhalf smiled and admitted White’s words had inspired him during the halftime talk, and it showed.

“At halftime I said to him don’t be scared to keep kicking at poles,” White said afterwards. “I told him to not give the tee to anyone else.

“I said he must back himself, I said that he’d kicked so well for us all year, and that we’re not going to win or lose this game because he missed a kick.

“Let’s be fair, he’s an unknown fly-half playing for us, but I thought he was as good as anyone playing for us. That break and dummy and run to score - how many 10s in this competition can do that?

“Obviously I’m very happy he backed himself in the second half, we needed that, we needed the big players to stand up. You need guys in your team who can stand up and play under pressure.”

CONFIDENCE GROWING

Johannes finished with 17 points from the game, and a world of confidence to take into the semifinal.

“I am really enjoying my rugby at the moment and am glad I could contribute to the victory this past weekend,” Johannes said.

I feel I am hitting form at the right time. I really enjoyed the try I scored, and the spirits were very high after that second-half performance. Coach Jake spoke to me at halftime, and it was nice to hear he was backing me, and it gave me the confidence to enjoy the rest of the game,”

“In the previous two games, I had a few hiccups off the kicking tee, but I feel settled into that flyhalf spot and ready to contribute more.”

With World Cup winning flyhalf Handre Pollard coming to Loftus Versfeld from next season and Goosen still around if he stays fit, Johannes may have a tough time getting regular game time, but it isn’t something that concerns him at the moment. After months of sitting on the sidelines, he is just enjoying the moment for what it is.

“At the moment I feel like I can bring a lot in the 10 jersey. And I feel like that is where I can improve my game a bit more and stay there for quite a while. That is where the team needs me currently, and I feel I can improve my overall game by playing there and staying there for a while. I would like to thrive there a bit.”

Bulls fans will want to see him thrive some more this weekend when the Sharks come to town, but one thing is for sure, Johannes will back himself now, the doubts are gone.