Wes Goosen suffered a frustrating first season with Edinburgh, as injuries limited his playing opportunities. But in this campaign things have turned round significantly for the South African-born player, who has been selected in the squad for all 11 of his team’s matches to date.
Given the competition for places in the back three from such talented players as Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and Emiliano Boffelli, that is a massive vote of confidence in Goosen from head coach Sean Everitt. And, although he has been switched from full-back to winger and back again, the 28-year-old is simply glad to be playing regularly again.
“I’ve played every game - it’s a lot better than last season, when it was very stop-start,” he said. “I’m really enjoying my rugby again.
“I just enjoy being on the field, to be honest. It’s quite nice when you play two positions - [at full-back] you know what you want from your wingers, then when you go back to the wing you know what you want from your full-back. So it’s quite nice playing both and I’m really enjoying it.”
Goosen may have owed his repeated selection earlier in the season to the absence first on Rugby World Cup duty and then through injury of Graham, Van der Merwe and Boffelli. But those three are all back fit again now, and he has held on to his place on merit.
“It’s really nice to be backed by your coach and given that confidence,” he added. “It’s good if I can compete with those kind of guys - I guess the top back three in the world.
“Everyone brings the best out of each other and that’s what we want at the club, people competing for positions. We’re playing good rugby, good players, it’s coming off.”
Edinburgh’s first game of the year is against Gloucester at the Hive Stadium on Saturday in the third round of Challenge Cup pool games.
