Versatile Jordan Hendrikse set for long Springbok career, says Steyn

Former Lions and now Sharks flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse has another great opportunity to prove his worth in the Springbok system after he was called into their end-of-year tour squad as an injury replacement earlier this week.

The Boks have had a number of players drop out of the squad after picking up injuries in their final United Rugby Championship games before the international break.

That included utility back Damian Willemse, who was replaced by loose forward Cameron Hanekom, followed by prop Frans Malherbe being ruled out, which opened the door for Hendrikse to step in.

Stacked department

Hendrikse made his one and only Bok appearance to date in their first Test of the year against Wales at Twickenham in June, but he has been unable to get another look in due to it being a stacked department.

However, with Willemse out again and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who played in the majority of the Bok games this season, also out injured, Hendrikse will likely get another chance to show what he can do.

Former Bok flyhalf Morne Steyn, who is the current kicking consultant at the Lions, worked with Hendrikse over the previous franchise season, and believes his versatility and skill should see him become a Bok regular over the coming years.

“We (the Lions) moved Jordan to centre. I think he is a very good 12 as well. Just to have that extra kicking ability and it is always nice to have two 10s on the field, like when New Zealand did it with Dan Carter and Aaron Mauger,” explained Steyn.

“It is always nice to have two guys reading the game and giving an extra kicking option. I enjoyed him at 12 and even at 15 as well. He’s a tall guy, very good in the air and has a big boot. He is a very exciting player.

“He is doing well at 10 as well at the Sharks. So I see a bright future for him with the Boks. It also looks like Rassie (Bok coach Rassie Erasmus) likes him, so he’s getting chances and hopefully he can take them and make them count.”

Versatile players

Steyn is also very excited about the amount of Bok depth that has been built up at flyhalf, by a number of versatile players coming through the system, as it was much thinner in the position towards the end of his career.

“If you look at a guy like Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu), he is also a very exciting player and he can have him at 10, 12 or 15. You can have Handre (Pollard) at 10 or 12 and now you have Jordan who can play 10, 12 or 15,” said Steyn.

“Rassie has plenty to choose from now. It just comes down to who is going to be picked and who will play for the next couple of years. He has a variety of exciting players. Even a guy like Damian Willemse still has to come back and be in the mix.

“So it is going to be a difficult choice for Rassie, but he obviously he has his plans in place and they are always working. I believe he will make the right choice.”