In 2018, Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse played in the Glenwood High first XV as a scrumhalf-flyhalf combination. They gelled so well for the Green Machine that some predicted that the brothers would one day be in the green of another team, the Springboks.
That may yet come to pass but first there is the certainty that they will be in the black and white of the Sharks in the second half of this year when Jordan returns to Durban.
The brothers split up after school – Jaden went straight into the junior ranks of the Sharks and Jordan joined the Lions after a short period in Stellenbosch.
Jordan, who is one year younger than the 23-year-old Jaden, has had mixed fortunes at the Lions. He exploded out of the blocks and impressed with his pugnacious attitude, his willingness to take the ball to the line, and his hefty boot, only to suffer a series of serious injuries.
He has barely played for the Lions over the past 12 months, and currently has Sanele Nohamba and Gianni Lombard ahead of him in the pecking order.
To be fair, the shrewd Nohamba is a joy to watch at flyhalf but Hendrikse’s non-selection could also be down to the Lions’ unwillingness to invest in a player that is leaving — he is set to join the Sharks in June where he will provide stiff competition for Curwin Bosch and Siya Masuku.
Sharks fans have been asking themselves: Can their team win a championship with Bosch at flyhalf?
Has he had enough chances?
The 26-year-old has played 145 games for the Sharks since 2016 …
When John Plumtree returned to the Sharks in July last year, he commented on the criticism that Bosch had suffered. Many critics felt that Bosch tended to drop back into the pocket and avoid taking the ball to the line to ask questions of the defence and create opportunities for his backs.
Plumtree said: “A lot of people have asked me about Curwin and I put it down to coaching and game plan.
“With Curwin we have to make sure that everyone is playing well around him so that when he gets the ball, he has options. I don’t think he had had options in the past. We have to look at how we can improve him.”
As it turned out, the team did not play well last year and there could still be hope in the coaching staff that when they turn their form around, so will Bosch.
However it turns out, Jordan at 10 is the future of the Sharks.
A change in scenery, a full recovery from his shoulder injury, and a familiar face at No 9 feeding him the ball should see him reclaim his mojo and get back on the trajectory that had him playing well for the SA Under-20 team a few years back.
Maybe the arrival of Hendrikse will shock Bosch into getting back on to the course that saw him capped as a Springbok when a teenager. He had been a schoolboy star and had the world at his feet … And what about Masuku?
He has been with the Sharks for a few months but hasn’t played. With Boeta Chamberlain leaving for the Bulls, Masuku steps up the ladder and we look forward to seeing what he can deliver.
He is 27 and displayed game-breaking skills at the Cheetahs. He showed big match temperament last year when he nailed a match-winning long-range penalty against Pau in a Challenge Cup match.
IOL Sport