Ethan Hooker dismisses fear that new-look Bok backline could misfire in Wellington
Rugby Championship
Springbok utility back Ethan Hooker, right, will make his first Test start against the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship clash in Wellington os Saturday.
Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Media
Ethan Hooker, who will make his first Springbok start on the wing in Saturday’s second Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand, is confident that the new-look Springbok backline will still be able to express themselves in Wellington.
Head coach Rassies Erasmus made wholesale changes to the backline from the side that went down 24-17 against the All Blacks in Auckland last weekend. Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will now form the halfback pairing, with Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie in the midfield, Hooker and Cheslin Kolbe on the wings, and Aphelele Fassi at fullback.
The versatile Hooker, who has featured at wing, centre and fullback for the Sharks, has dismissed the worry that the new combinations will struggle to find fluidity as the Boks seek revenge for the weekend’s nail-biting defeat.
“Yeah, I think everyone’s a bit edgy. Everyone's really keen to get onto the pitch and just express themselves, but I think the combinations are working very well in training. Guys are linking up and we're not really feeling any pressure, we feel like we can express ourselves and I think that's a very good positive taking into this weekend,” he said in a media conference on Tuesday alongside coach Duane Vermeulen.
Hooker admitted to feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves but praised the role of veteran backs like Jessie Kriel and Damien de Allende in helping calm things down in the build-up to Saturday's Test.
“There’s definitely a bit of both excitement and nerves. The championship’s on the line, it’s a must-win game," he said. "I think excitement comes from just being on the pitch and being able to represent your country, and then obviously the nerves come from the whole stage, the whole fact that you're playing New Zealand.
"But I think you’ve just got to get a good mixture of both and use that to your advantage. Don't get too nervous and don’t get too excited. Just, you know, keep a calm head going into the game.”