DURBAN - An injury to Herschel Jantjies has opened the door for Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse to make his Springbok debut in this evening’s Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Gqeberha.
Hendrikse takes his place on the bench for the Boks’ opening match in the competition following the withdrawal of Herschel Jantjies due to a hip pointer niggle.
The former Junior Springbok joined the Bok squad last week Monday in the build-up to the final Test against the British & Irish Lions – which South Africa won 19-16 to clinch the series.
If the 21-year-old indeed makes his international debut, it would mark a stunning change in fortunes for him after he suffered the disgrace of being sent off for foul play when the Sharks played the Lions in a midweek game.
“Jaden has been very active at training since joining the camp, so we are confident that he will slot into the team and adapt to our structures with ease if he takes the field,” said Bok coach Jacques Nienaber.
“He has been comfortable in the role at our training sessions and it has been encouraging to see how he has stepped up at this level since he joined the squad.
“Jaden has also been in all of our team meetings, so he knows exactly what we are expecting from Argentina and how we want to play, and he was one of the players in the expanded squad of 25 that have been preparing for this match, so we believe he will be up for this challenge.”
IOL Sport