There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White selected a young 20-year-old named Cameron Hanekom in his starting line-up in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship last season.
After all, Hanekom may have just returned from a successful stint with the SA under-20s but the Bulls had plenty of firepower in their loose trio.
From Marcell Coetzee to Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Cyle Brink, Nizaam Carr and others, White had more than his fair share of experience to choose from.
But there was something different about Hanekom. Something that a coach knows when he sees it. And White has been around the block too often not to recognise it when it comes along.
It is apparent when you speak to him. Firm in his grip on reality, and forthright in his speech, Hanekom is a serious guy.
At 22, there aren’t too many of these rugby players around. And with the size he has - standing 6ft 4 and weighing in at 110kg, he is fitted perfectly for the Bok mould.
BURST ONTO THE SCENE
His emergence on the URC scene was nothing short of sensational, prompting whispers from his first game of when he would make his Springbok debut.
And as he needed to in a country littered with quality loose-forwards, Hanekom kept on banging on the door.
To make a Springbok squad that has double World Cup winners is no easy feat, especially at the standards the side sets for entry for newcomers.
But that didn’t deter Hanekom, who has been compared to a host of other Bok players - from Duane Vermeulen to Kwagga Smith - and who has only quietly gone about his business trying to make his name on the toughest rugby stage.
That’s why when Hanekom makes his debut off the bench against Wales this coming weekend it will be the culmination of years of hard work, and against a backdrop of an expectant nation willing him to succeed.
His physicality, combined with his versatility - he can play anywhere in the loose trio - make him a particularly useful asset for the Boks and Bulls.
Not only can he jump in the lineout, but Hanekom can easily slot in as an opensider - with many believing he will end up there later on in his career.
The man everyone's been talking about 🔥
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) November 21, 2024
Cameron Hanekom is in line for his South Africa debut this weekend 🇿🇦
#BKTURC #URC pic.twitter.com/go5TaeVT1K
But it is as eighthman that he has had the most impact. His surges off the base of the scrum have been a nightmare for opposition teams, making metres with his physicality and with a leg drive that is hard to stop.
It is no wonder that Wales were trying to poach him, although, if those close to him are to be believed, there was never anything else in his vision other than Green and Gold.
ERASMUS ON HANEKOM
On Tuesday Bok coach Rassie Erasmus made it clear how they see Hanekom, and it isn’t as a six at the moment.
“In my days as a player, we were just a No 6 or 7, not open or blindside. I believe in it,” said Erasmus.
“The only difference was if a guy can jump in the lineouts or not. Siya (Kolisi) is not a lineout jumper, but Cameron is. That’s why he’s good in the South African sense of a No 7 flanker. He’s also a very good eighth man - athletic, fast and all over the field.
“Duane Vermeulen ran over people; Cameron can sidestep, he can hand off tacklers, and sometimes run over them. I don’t think we can put him in a box and say he is exclusively a No 7. I think he can also be a very good eighth man, but I don’t see him as a No 6.”
🗣️ "He deserves his chance, hopefully the players around him make him feel comfortable enough to be himself."
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 20, 2024
Rassie on Cameron Hanekom being named on the bench to face Wales and the role he could play.#AutumnNationsSeries | @SpurRestaurant https:// pic.twitter.com/Hh5MhnCX74
While nerves will be there for Hanekom on Saturday, Erasmus has assured him that he wants him to focus on his natural game, and if mistakes happen they happen.
The Boks certainly won’t be measuring him on just that, but rather what he can offer them in the run-up to the 2027 World Cup.
“For a guy like Cameron, and anyone who comes into the team, I think things that happen most in a match are running, the rucks – there’s probably 140 in a game – and about 14 lineouts and eight scrums,” said Erasmus.
“We really want to see him focusing on his general game.”
CAN PLAY ANYWHERE IN LOOSE TRIO
Recently it was White who compared him with Smith, the Boks swiss army knife, and believed his versatility would suit the Springboks to a tee.
“I won’t be surprised if he takes this chance, moves on, and makes it his own,” White told News24.
“He’s got an incredible work ethic; he’s always putting in extras on his days off, swimming or stretching. His greatest attribute is that he can play six, seven, and eight, with incredible pace and explosiveness.”
“The point of difference he has – other than his speed and feel – is that he can also be a lineout option. Jasper Wiese, Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith don’t jump as much, but Cameron can. With the way Rassie coaches, he’s probably a guy who can cover the backs in a 6-2 split, like Kwagga. His explosiveness and speed make him ideal for such versatility.”
And the high praise continued from former Springbok captain Corne Krige, who told Netwerk24 that Hanekom was the “ideal modern loose forward.”
“I am very excited about what he can offer the Springboks, especially with the great focus that is now on attacking rugby. He should fit in very well with that pattern of play,” Krige said.
“What I like about Cameron is that he is quick and has good hands, but is also a good defender and can play to the ground.
“Although he is not a specialist fetcher, he can steal balls for you. Cameron is also very physical and a dangerous ball-carrier. In that respect, he is the ideal loose forward in modern rugby.”
On Saturday though, the culmination of a journey for the Ceres-born loose forward will be a celebration - one that saw him come through a small school ranks before being snapped up by Paarl Boys High in his matric year.
Hanekom will be claimed by Boishaai because he matriculated there, but the real story was how he came through a little known school called Charlie Hofmeyr, who produced only one Springbok before Hanekom.
CERES SENSATION
As Hannes Nienaber points out on the Supersport Schools platform, Hanekom was a sensation at Charlies', especially in his under-15 and under-16 year, where the team had lost both their top points scorer and top try scorer, who were poached by other schools.
Without them, the team was expected to struggle, but Hanekom was made captain and led from the front, demolishing defences as he scored ten tries in nine games, and the small Ceres school lost only two games in that time - both of them when Hanekom didn’t play because of injury.
“He is a born leader and an incredible rugby brain,” his coach at Charlies’ Mike Geldenhuys recalls.
“I didn’t have someone that year to help me coach the team. So to have him with his vision of the game as captain helped a lot. He was also an amazing team player.”
A top wrestler in his school days as well, Hanekom was made to succeed and it wasn’t surprising that after moving to Boishaai, and being called up for the SA under-20 side, he was the player of the Six Nations Summer Series that same year.
Impressions are often made with tries, but for Hanekom it was all round work rate that won it for him.
Anyone who has seen him play for the Bulls will attest to this. His form often mirrors the Bulls success and his engine seems to have no end.
BOSSING LEINSTER IN URC SEMIFINAL
The highlight could easily be seen in the URC semifinal earlier this year when the Bulls shocked Leinster, and Hanekom was an easy choice as man of the match.
In that game Hanekom made more tackles (18), clean breaks (3), metres (81), turnovers (2) and beat more defenders (6) than any other player in the match.
He topped the carry (10) and clean break (3) charts to go with a brace of turnovers.
Cameron HANEKOM (22 ans), le nouveau super-vilain sud africain 🇿🇦
— Grec Ahki (@eKoloKante) June 18, 2024
Techniquement limité mais excellent porteur, défenseur et gratteur.
Athlétique comme Macalou, infatigable comme Cros, puissant comme Aldritt.
Absolute crack incoming 🧨 https://t.co/5FL4myZ8uj pic.twitter.com/zWLe7VpwWJ
His all round game play was simply sensational and it is no wonder Wales were watching him intensely.
But the Green and Gold is where he will shine in future and if given the chance, has the potential to become a Springbok great.
So on Saturday while many will be celebrating the first cap of a fan favourite, Hanekom will be relieved that the hard work paid off.
And will know that the hard work is only just starting.
🗣️ "It just shows that your hard work does pay off at the end of the day."
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 19, 2024
All smiles for Cameron Hanekom who is living the Springbok dream right now.#AutumnNationsSeries | @SpurRestaurant pic.twitter.com/X7iDujKI4u