He’s on standby: SA Rookie Hendrikse Picture: Glyn KIRK / AFP
LIONS playmaker Jordan Hendrikse has gone from 10 to zero after not making the cut for the Springboks’ Test series against Ireland.
South Africa face the Irish on July 6 in Pretoria and July 13 in Durban and coach Rassie Erasmus named his 39-man squad on Tuesday after the Boks returned home from the UK.
And mere days after Hendrikse made his Bok debut in a 41-13 win against Wales at Twickenham, he was axed after his replacement at No.10 and fellow debutant against Wales, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, played a blinder off the bench by slotting a 50m penalty goal and getting the Bok backline humming.
As a reward for his super-sub display, Feinberg-Mngomezulu remains part of Erasmus's plans for the Irish series, with Ben-Jason Dixon and Lions winger Edwill van der Merwe also retained.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu announcing himself on the global stage in style 🚀![CDATA[]]>🎯 pic.twitter.com/v3IrT7jHci
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 24, 2024
Meanwhile, Erasmus also selected four uncapped players, with Lions No.9 Morne van den Berg, Sharks loose-forward Phepsi Buthelezi and Bulls front-rowers Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels called up.
The squad also sees the return of the big dogs with World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo Am, RG Snyman, Cobus Reinach, Trevor Nyakane, Marco van Staden, Willie le Roux and Kurt-Lee Arendse in the mix.
Of his squad, Erasmus says: “We named the best squad available for the series … we thought it would be beneficial for us to name a standby squad with a few players who will join us at training sporadically in the next few weeks.”
Hendrikse is one of those standby players alongside Jean-Luc du Preez, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche, Celimpilo Gumede, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruben van Heerden, Andre-Hugo Venter, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn and Siya Masuku.
Players who weren’t selected because of injury are Steven Kitshoff, Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, Cameron Hanekom, Jaden Hendrikse, Henco van Wyk, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse.
Squad announcement for Castle Lager SA Incoming Series.
— Springboks (@Springboks) June 25, 2024
More at the following link: https://t.co/KDYRR1QM66#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/sLFJWBa6pj
Springboks squad
Forwards: Phepsi Buthelezi, Ben-Jason Dixon, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Salmaan Moerat, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Evan Roos, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese.
Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Faf de Klerk, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Wilie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams.
francois.dewet@inl.co.za
Daily Voice