Hanekom stakes Springbok claim as No 8 race heats up
United Rugby Championship
The Bulls' Cameron Hanekom is making a serious case to get an extended run in the No 8 Springbok jumper this season. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
The weekend’s United Rugby Championship quarter-finals left the impression that the consistent Bull, Cameron Hanekom, has stretched his legs towards the Springbok No 8 jersey temporarily vacated by the injured Jasper Wiese.
Another strong performance by Hanekom in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Sharks will surely secure him the position.
In April, Wiese’s season in Japan came to a halt when he picked up a neck injury, prompting a return to South Africa for surgery. The 29-year-old is on the mend, but he is not on course for a comeback in time for the Springbok season that kicks off at the end of June.
The Boks warm up with a game against the Barbarians in Cape Town before their first meaningful engagement, the two-Test series against Italy in July.
And when Wiese is fit to return, he will need time off the Springboks bench to get closer to a start, as there is no other rugby available to him. As a Japan-based player, he cannot feature in the Currie Cup or anywhere else but with the Springboks.
The debate over who should be the long-term Springbok No 8 has raged since the end of the 2023 World Cup, when Duane Vermeulen retired.
The abrasive Wiese has been the man in possession, but Hanekom has been a star for the Bulls throughout the URC, even with a period of injury.
In the absence of Wiese, Hanekom’s chief rival for the Springbok No 8 jersey has been the combative Stormer, Evan Roos.
Roos was not invited to the second Springbok alignment camp of the year, held two weeks ago in Cape Town. There was outrage in some quarters, especially in the Cape, but in last week’s quarter-finals, Roos failed to take his opportunity to state his case to Bok coach Rassie Erasmus.
The Stormers lost disappointingly to the Warriors in Glasgow, and Roos struggled to make an impact on the game.
This was the perfect stage for the 25-year-old Roos to show Erasmus that he deserved to build on the six caps he has so far enjoyed for the Springboks. Since making his debut in 2022, Roos has played two games per year for the Boks.
His big rival, Hanekom, has been exceptional for the Bulls, week-in and week-out, and is in line for the URC Next Generation Player of the Season award.
One of his strong rivals for the award is Bulls teammate Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
In last week’s quarter-final against Edinburgh, the 23-year-old Hanekom scored an early try and was a constant thorn in their side for the rest of the game. It is Hanekom’s willingness to work hard on either side of the ball that will endear him to Erasmus, who prizes players with an unselfish work ethic.
Interestingly, Hanekom will be up against Siya Kolisi in a loose forward showdown on Saturday.
Kolisi famously wears the No 6 jersey for the Springboks, but Sharks coach John Plumtree fancies him as a No 8.
The 33-year-old has been a revelation in the position, and Erasmus has much to ponder. However, if Hanekom can outplay Kolisi on Saturday, it might end the debate that the Springbok captain has a future in the role.