'Universal Adaptor' aims to make Boks more dynamic
INTERVIEW: The versatile Jordan Hendrikse reflects on what he gained during his short stint at the Springboks and on his roaming role at the Sharks.
A Test debut; a long-range penalty goal to clinch the Currie Cup title; a new role in a resurgent Sharks team; and the realisation of a lifelong dream to start alongside his brother at international level.
It's fair to say that 2024 has been a watershed year for Hendrikse.
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The 23-year-old utility back is still trying to process it all, while focusing on his duties in the United Rugby Championship and – if selected by the Sharks in the coming weeks against the Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers – the Champions Cup.
"It's been a year of new beginnings, in terms of my Test career, the new system at the Boks, and the move to the Sharks," Hendrikse told @rugby365com.
"Regarding the latter, it's been great to come home to Durban, where it all started for me.
"That kick in the Currie Cup Final against my old team was bittersweet, but I'll never forget when I won my first trophy."
Three months before that battle between the Lions and Sharks at Ellis Park, Hendrikse played his first Test against Wales at Twickenham, starting at flyhalf in a 41-13 victory.
More recently, he racked up another memorable first, starting alongside his brother Jaden for the Boks against Wales in Cardiff.
The younger Hendrikse scored 15 points in an emphatic 45-12 win for the visitors.
By his own admission, he has taken giant strides in a matter of months and is a more rounded player than the one who started for South Africa this past June.
"There were a lot of nerves in that first Test," he said.
"It was my debut, and then there was the fact that we were a new team with few established combinations, playing under a new coaching staff with a new system.
"We did well all things considered, even though we made some mistakes.
"By my second Test [in November] I was a lot calmer and assured of what was required, and just went out there and expressed myself," Hendrikse added.
"We made mistakes in Cardiff, but that's the thing with this Bok side, you'll never get punished for trying something.
"If you're not making an effort, of course, that's another story."
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The Boks used four different starting flyhalves across 13 Tests in 2024.
Handré Pollard and Manie Libbok occupied senior roles – especially in the bigger matches – while youngsters Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Hendrikse were given opportunities with an eye to the future.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus experimented with his selections over the course of the season, while also introducing a more expansive approach.
New attack coach Tony Brown encouraged the players – particularly the scrumhalves and flyhalves – to push the boundaries. The results, as well as the attacking stats, speak to the success of a more balanced approach.
"Tony's big goal was to make the team more dynamic on attack," Hendrikse said.
"He wanted the players to look for opportunities, to anticipate, and then to execute – because in the past the Boks weren't finding that balance.
"Now you can see how the team is moving the ball around the field, and the kind of tries we are scoring.
"From a personal point of view, Tony has opened my eyes to the possibilities. I'm scanning the field for weak points in the defence, for opportunities.
"You want to express yourself, but Tony and the coaches talk a lot about knowing when to push and when to hold back.
"I feel like I'm getting that balance right."
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Jaden Hendrikse won his first Test cap in 2021.
Last year, he was part of the squad that won the World Cup in France.
This season, the siblings have reunited, first at the Sharks and then at the Boks.
"Brothers are always going to chirp each other, but for the most part we have tried to push each other to improve – especially over the past few years," explained Hendrikse.
"Having Jaden to guide me in my first season at the Boks was a blessing.
"I'm blown away by how calm he is in that decision-making position, and how often he makes the right call at the right time.
"Getting the chance to start together at 9 and 10 in a Test was very special.
"It's something that the two of us as well as my father [who passed away last year] always dreamed of, and I hope we receive more of those opportunities in future.
"Overall, I'd say the experience of training with and playing for the Boks has taken my game to the next level. Technically, I feel that I'm a lot sharper than before and I'm looking at the game in a new way.
"When you're young and new to the squad, the coaches tell you to express yourself, but you want to bring a bit of balance and maturity to the role, too. In that respect, I've taken a leaf out of my brother's book.
"My main goal this season was to become a Springbok.
"Now that I've achieved that, I want to play more Tests and contribute as much as I can in 2025."
After stating that ambition, Hendrikse steers the conversation back to the task at hand.
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"I can't get ahead of myself, I know that the immediate focus is the Sharks, and that if things go well and I get selected [for the next series of Tests against Italy and Georgia in July] I can put all my energy into the Boks."
Hendrikse was part of the Sharks team that beat the Stormers 21-15 in Durban this past Saturday.
The result marked the Sharks' inaugural win over their coastal rivals since the advent of the URC in 2021.
Fears that Hendrikse would struggle to receive much game time after moving to the Sharks have proved unfounded.
The Durban-based franchise already boasts great options at flyhalf, inside centre, and fullback, but coach John Plumtree has endeavoured to use Hendrikse at No.10 and No.15 in the early stages of the URC.
When all of the Boks were available this past week, Hendrikse was deployed from the bench in what is becoming an increasingly important utility back role.
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"Siya Masuku and myself are really competitive, but we get on really well and support one another all the time," Hendrikse says of his relationship with the Sharks' most established flyhalf option.
"You got to be like that in this situation, where you're playing a lot of games over a long season, in which there are two major competitions."
Covering flyhalf, centre and fullback will force Hendrikse to develop other skills, and in time, he may become as valuable as the likes of Damian Willemse, who is capable of starting in each of those three positions.
In the injury-enforced absence of Willemse, Feinberg-Mngomezulu was used as a utility player by the Boks in 2024, covering multiple positions from the bench and starting three Tests at No.10.
"Obviously as an individual, you want to play as much as possible, and I've always said that flyhalf is my preferred position, but there are times where you have to slot in elsewhere according to what the team needs," said Hendrikse.
"Another way to look it at is that it provides you the opportunity to develop more skills and add more value to the team – and that doesn't necessarily mean you will lose the core skills of your preferred position.
"We often joke at the Sharks that I'm the team's universal adaptor, because I can slot in where needed, but I've really enjoyed the challenge."
@rugby365com
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