Bulls boss lists what makes Cameron Hanekom better than other No 8s

Bulls No 8 Cameron Hanekom deservedly won man-of-the-match in his United Rugby Championship game against the Stormers at the weekend, drawing praise from his director of rugby, Jake White.

Hanekom scored no points in the north-south derby in Cape Town but he carried well, dominated his tackles, and stole the ball at the breakdown a few times to help the visitors win 33–32.

He will especially be remembered for his explosive chase at the kick-off, setting the tone for a commanding performance from the Bulls.

In the end, the Pretoria side almost lost the game after conceding penalties and giving away possession to allow the Stormers chances they should never have had. If not for the Stormers missing more kicks than the Bulls (four compared to three) the match would have gone the other way.

Hanekom exhibits signs of a good player

Hanekom made his own mistakes on the day, spilling the ball forward at least once, but his intensity and consistency elsewhere drew him honours in an error-strewn affair.

While Hanekom noted his frustration with these mistakes after the match, his director of rugby, White, smiled when recalling how he had successfully chased the ball after kick-off.

White said it was “the sign of a good player”.

“Everyone knows he can do it, everyone expects him to do it and he still does it. There are things he tries to do a little bit too much sometimes but that is what happens when you are young,” White shrugged.

‘He has feel’

He said the 22-year-old Springbok’s chase was the boost of inspiration his side needed early in their away game.

“When there is a full stadium and you want to be remembered as one of the best players, you have to play well in those big games. That’s the challenge anyone has.

“Anyone who has ever done anything in rugby is the guy who plays the best in the biggest games.”

The Bulls boss continued: “I think the one thing Cameron has better than anyone around is that he has feel. He pops up in the right places. Another thing he has which other loose forwards don’t have is he can jump in the lineout.”

Hanekom will be again in the spotlight this Saturday when the Sharks visit Loftus in what is another big URC derby for both teams. The rising star is set to come up against a few more Boks, with Siya Kolisi possibly likely to again wear the black and white No 8 jersey in what should be a fascinating head-to-head contest with Hanekom.