After not making the cut for UK tour, these rookies have reason to be BOKAF
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ selection of his 34-man squad for their UK Tour in November would certainly have broken the hearts of a few youngsters who got to wear the Green and Gold for the first time this year.
Erasmus gave debut’s to a total of 11 players, with rookie sensation and Stormers player Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu gryping sy kans and going on to play in eight consecutive Tests this year, before a knee injury ended his game time for the rest of the year.
But there are also a handful of other rookies who only got one or two chances to shine that will feel they deserved another shot to show Erasmus they can make the step up like Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
And of those debutants wie se plak sou sak after the UK Tour mikskyk are versatile Sharks backline player Jordan Hendrikse, Stormers flanker Ben-Jason Dixon and Lions wing Edwill van der Merwe among others.
Hendrikse started at flyhalf for the Boks’ first Test of the year against Wales in June before he got axed after that 41-16 win at Twickenham.
But the youngster did not let that get him down and kicked the Sharks to the Currie Cup title with his 59 metre beseringstyd bomb to klap his ou span the Lions 16-14 at Ellis Park.
And after a try-scoring Bok debut against Wales and drukking drie drieë in his URC comeback from injury with the Lions, ex-Stormer Van der Merwe looked like a certainty as Bok option at wing.
Meanwhile, Dixon would have been itching to prove a point after the Kapenaar had a disappointing fifth cap in SA’s 29-28 Rugby Championship loss to Los Pumas in Argentina.
But of only being able to select 34 players and hunting a clean sweep up north, Erasmus says: “There’s no doubt that there are several unlucky players who could easily have made the touring squad…”
The coach adds: “That said, this squad includes a healthy mix of youth and experience, with most of these players having made a strong statement in the Springbok jersey this year.”
2024’S NEW BOKS THAT MISSED OUT
Jordan Hendrikse, Edwill van der Merwe, Ben-Jason Dixon, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Phepsi Bhutelezi, Morne van den Berg, Andre Hugo-Venter, Quan Horn and Ruan Venter.