Cornal Hendricks finally back in Springbok mix and ready to impress

Bulls utility back Cornal Hendricks has finally been given the greenlight by the Springbok medical squad and he will now look to prove he deserves a spot back in the Bok squad, after he was picked in the SA A squad for their end-of-year-tour.

A heart problem, picked up back in 2016, saw Hendricks miss out on almost four years of professional club rugby, after he last featured for the Cheetahs in 2015, and then signed for the Bulls in 2019.

ALSO READ: Vermeulen omission part of Bok plan, Roos gets his chance to shine

During that period he signed for both the Stormers and Toulon, before both teams pulled out of the deals on medical advice, however after getting a number of second opinions clearing him, the Bulls gave him a chance in 2019, which he took with both hands.

Despite his superb performances for the Bulls since then, the Springbok medical team would not clear Hendricks, which scuppered his efforts of getting back into the national side, but he has now been cleared to play.

“We couldn’t pick Cornal. From our side at SA Rugby, we didn’t get the green light that medically, we could pick him,” explained SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus.

“But that has been sorted out now through his own hard work, while the Bulls helped us, and the legal and medical teams. It has really been a process.

“A year ago, we said we are working on that and we were trying to make him eligible to play, and it has been sorted out, I think it was 10 days ago, that we were finally cleared to select him again.”

Lots of experience

Bok assistant coach and SA A coach Mzwandile Stick is excited to work with Hendricks and believes he is going to bring a lot of experience to a youthful SA A squad.

“Every time we discussed the (Bok) squad, his name was always mentioned. If you look at the past year or two, he has been playing well for the Bulls, and it was also nice for us as coaches to get the green light to select him for SA A,” said Stick.

“With his experience, we know what he can do, and he gives us options covering 12, 13 and the outside backs. There are a lot of youngsters in the SA A squad that are exciting, but you need some stability around that from people who have been there.

“If the conditions don’t allow us to play running rugby, we need people to keep things together and direct the team, and we know Cornal has done that for the Bulls.”