Cameron Hanekom described the last week with the national team in Jersey as a “dream come true” and said he was so surprised by his call-up that he initially asked if it was a joke.
The former Junior Springbok loose forward, who has been in magnificent form for the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this season, is the only uncapped player in Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ 35-man squad after being drafted into the group as an injury replacement for Damian Willemse.
“It’s been an unbelievable experience so far, especially being with double Rugby World Cup winners and players I’ve looked up to for so long, so it’s really a dream come true and something I can’t really describe,” said Hanekom.
“I’ve always strived to become a Springbok and although I’m not there yet, it’s just fantastic to be here and to learn as much as I can from these players.”
Hanekom admitted that his call-up came as a surprise: “It just shows that you never really know (when you are going to get the call). I was in disbelief when I got the call and asked if it was a joke. But that said, my goal is just to contribute to the squad as much as possible over the next few weeks.”
The 22-year-old player was confident about his ability to play any position in the loose trio.
“I’m a versatile loose forward, so I wouldn’t say I have a preference for any position,” he said. “It’s more about the mental preparation of switching between positions and knowing what your role is on the field.”
Meanwhile, Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids and prop Thomas du Toit both said they were excited about the training camp on the Channel Island between England and France, adding that it has been a great experience for the squad both on and off the field.
“It’s the first time for most, if not all of us to be here in Jersey, and the environment and training facilities are great,” said Davids.
“Adding to that it’s a beautiful island and it’s also helped us to acclimatise to the conditions we can expect in the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour, so it’s been a fantastic experience for the team.”
Du Toit, who plies his trade in England’s Gallagher Premiership, said: “It’s my first time here in Jersey, and luckily I’ve been playing for Bath, so I’m used to the conditions here.
“Jersey is a nice island and the people have been very accommodating from the Strive gym to the Jersey Rugby Football Club and the hotel. Everyone has been working hard on the field, but also enjoying being in a different place.”
Davids expected a massive challenge next Sunday against Scotland, who are currently ranked seventh in the world: “There’s no such thing as an easy Test match. We know we’ll be up against a good Scottish team.
“A lot of their players also play for the Glasgow Warriors, who won the Vodacom URC last season, so they are going to test us. They have quality players, and they like to use the entire field, so know it’s going to be a proper Test match.”
The Bok assistant coach anticipated massive forward battles in their Test matches against Scotland, England and Wales.
“Traditionally the mauls and scrums have been two of our strengths, and with all the teams evolving, we’ve had to find ways to outsmart the opposition, so we’ve been working hard on those areas of our game,” said Davids. “We know it will play a big part in our game in the Test matches.”
Zooming in on the scrums, Du Toit, added: “We take the scrums very personally, so we’ve been training hard in that aspect of our game because we have no doubt it will play an important role in the upcoming internationals.”
The 2019 RWC-winning prop was also confident in his ability to play both loosehead and tighthead, saying: “I’m comfortable playing both positions. In fact, at Bath I started at loosehead about five times this season and moved to tighthead during the matches, which has certainly helped in that regard.”
The Boks will face Scotland in Edinburgh (Sunday 10 November), England in London (Saturday 16 November) and Wales in Cardiff (Saturday 23 November) on their traditional end-of-year tour.
The team will wrap up their on-field preparations in Jersey on Saturday before travelling to Edinburgh on Sunday.
