Mzwandile Stick says Jordan Hendrikse has the potential to spark a new-look Springbok backline on Saturday, as Pieter-Steph du Toit gears up to renew hostilities with Wales.
Flyhalf Hendrikse and right winger Edwill van der Merwe will make starting debuts for the Du Toit-captained world champion Boks in their first Test of the year against the Welsh at Twickenham.
Van der Merwe and Hendrikse are the two uncapped players named in the run-on XV – which features a good balance of youth and experience – while DHL Stormers duo Ben-Jason Dixon and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are the new faces on the bench.
Hendrikse has excelled at various youth levels and for the Lions, and speaking in a Bok conference on Friday, Stick revealed that Rassie Erasmus had earmarked the 22-year-old playmaker while highlighting the benefit of blooding new talent.
“If you follow Jordan Hendrikse’s career he has been coming on with the Lions the past two, three seasons, he has been playing very well. Sometimes he gets unlucky with his injuries,” the assistant coach told reporters.
“We’ve always had an eye on him because he’s one of those players with great potential, and how he manages the game playing for the Lions.
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“One thing that excites me with our backline is … what we have with a guy like Edwill van der Merwe, probably similar style of play to what we normally have in Cheslin Kolbe or Kurt-Lee Arendse. There’s still the experience of Makazole Mapimpi on the other wing. It’s a well-balanced backline.”
“Aphelele Fassi has been playing very well for the Sharks … the last time he played for us was against Wales in Bloemfontein [in 2022]; we’ve seen some growth in his game,” Stick added.
“The most important thing for us is the balance in the backline, the experienced players around like Faf [de Klerk] pairing up with Jordan, and also Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield, who’s been around. Whenever he gets a chance he plays well for us. And Jesse Kriel as well.
“It’s a good balance for us, but I’m really excited to see what those new guys do for us, getting an opportunity and grabbing it with both hands.
“It’s better for us going forward as coaches because we also want to build squad depth. Even if Cheslin is back in a couple weeks a guy like Edwill can do the job for us, and that will be great for us as coaches.”
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Du Toit, in his 77th Test, will lead his country for the second time, and the two-time World Cup winner emphasised what the occasion will mean to him.
“It’s a massive honour and privilege to be able to captain this team. In the past, and it was mentioned in Chasing the Sun, captaincy is more than one [person] in this team,” he said.
“Everyone has a job description, and the captain’s job description is the communication between the players and the referee. Inside the team environment everyone has a specific role, and that’s your responsibility.
“I’ve got a special bond with Wales, it feels very personal. I made my debut against them in 2013 and first time as captain [for the Boks was against them in 2018] and now second time as captain.
“It’s special to play against them, and especially the respect we have for each other and the physicality they bring to the game as well.”
“Pressure is always there to win when you put on the Springbok jersey so we’ve done our preparation the last few weeks. We’ve got a new defence coach, new attack coach but the core of the squad has stayed the same.
“We’ve got a bit more edge than 2018 but the pressure will be on on both sides,” Du Toit explained.
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