Ken Borland

The Hendrikse bros are two of the most exciting young talents in South African rugby, but it was clearly older brother Jaden who got the better of his sibling Jordan as he played a key role in the Sharks beating the Lions 37-10 in their United Rugby Championship match at Kings Park in Durban at the weekend.

Scrumhalf Jaden produced a sparkling all-round display, running attack slickly with pinpoint passing and excellent vision, while his x-factor was also apparent in some of the more outrageous things that the 22-year-old pulled off. He also kicked brilliantly, both in terms of box-kicks for territory and for attacking purposes.

Brother Jordan, two years younger, just lacked the same spark and Sharks coach Sean Everitt said his team winning the kicking-for-territory battle was crucial to their handsome victory.

“We knew if we could get into a kicking duel with the Lions then we could come out on top,” Everitt said after the win. “Obviously conditions suited that sort of game as well, it was very difficult out there.

“Jaden played well last week as well and he is starting to reach the form he was in when he played for South Africa last year. He and Curwin Bosch managed the game very well.

“We wanted to try and put pressure on the Lions, and with Anthony Volmink at fullback, we had a three-pointed kicking plan which worked extremely well. I think there were only three times we played more than three phases in our own half,” Everitt said.

The victory lifted the Sharks into sixth place on the URC log and, with just three games remaining, the playoffs beckon for the KwaZulu-Natalians. But those three matches are against top sides Leinster, Connacht and a particularly tough trip to Ulster in their last fixture.

Everitt said he is confident though that everything is coming together nicely for his team to finish strong.

“There are only three games left but there is a lot of rugby to be played. There are also a lot of overseas derbies coming up.

“We have shown glimpses of some really good stuff and we are getting our all-round game right – we’re not conceding many tries, we’re getting our kicking game right and when we get the opportunity to move the ball, we have shown intent.

“So yes, I think this has been the perfect build-up for the final run-in,” Everitt said.

Keegan Petersen revealed himself as one of South Africa’s brightest batting talents in the series against India, but the man who made the No.3 position his own has now suffered the disappointment of being ruled out of the tour to New Zealand due to a positive Covid test. This does, however, potentially open the way for an exciting young batsman like Ryan Rickelton to make his long-awaited debut.

Petersen, who is asymptomatic, has been replaced in the squad by Western Province talent Zubayr Hamza.

But Petersen’s misfortune, announced on the morning of the team’s departure for New Zealand, could well be just the break the 25-year-old Rickelton has been waiting for. The Central Gauteng Lions batsman has been part of the Proteas squad since the tour to Pakistan a year ago, but is yet to catch a game.

Rickelton has been in exceptional form in the domestic four-day competition this season, and scores of 90 and a match-saving 102 not out for the Lions against Western Province at Newlands last weekend took his tally this summer to 473 runs in five innings, at an average of 118.25, with three centuries.

But as much as one would like to see a new talent on the international stage, you have to wonder if the Proteas selectors won’t use Petersen’s absence as a lifeline for Aiden Markram.

Markram has scored just 140 runs in his last nine innings, with one half-century, and there was a strong possibility he was going to lose his opening spot in New Zealand to the uncapped Sarel Erwee, who is averaging 86 in four-day cricket this season.

But both Markram and Erwee could conceivably fill Petersen’s No.3 spot. Rickelton is also a top-order batsman, comfortable in the top three, but choosing two uncapped batsmen in Erwee and Rickelton could be too much of a risk for the selectors, so it will be interesting to see which option they choose.

Amidst all the exultation over South Africa’s exceptional series win over India there has been the added positive of two exciting new faces exposing their talents with excellent performances in the Proteas Test team.

Keegan Petersen, who had played just two Tests before tackling arguably the best bowling attack in world cricket, ended as the Man of the Series, scoring 276 runs (the most) at an average of 46.00. He batted with tremendous poise, skill and toughness, but also played a pleasing array of strokes.

Marco Jansen, the 21-year-old who made his debut in the first Test at Centurion, took 19 wickets, second only to KG Rabada’s 20, at 16.47. The beanpole bowled with pace, fire and bounce, but also exhibited the priceless ability for a left-arm quick to move the ball both ways.

“We had two youngsters who just came in and played very good cricket,” Proteas coach Mark Boucher said. “Keegan did not start as well as he would have liked in the West Indies and at SuperSport Park.

“But he always showed signs of being the player we see right now. He stuck to his guns and Dean Elgar really backed him. He’s a tough nut and playing at No.3, especially in South Africa, you’ve got to be.

“You’ve got to know your game and I’m a bit lost for words at how well Keegan did. It was a big series against big players, he won Man of the Series, which was fully deserved and I’m very happy for him,” Boucher said.

While Jansen’s selection may have surprised some people, Boucher was always comfortable with it having seen what the Potchefstroom product had shown as a member of the touring squads to Pakistan and the West Indies in the last year.

“There were a lot of questions around Marco‘s selection, but we saw what he had in Pakistan and the West Indies,” Boucher said. “It was just a matter of him coming through because we knew his skill-set and the variation he brings.

“Now everyone can see what a find he is. He’s only 21, so he still has a lot of cricket to learn, but we’ve seen a lot of great signs. And he can bat as well.

“He’s going to be a superstar in the future,” Boucher said.

The welcome return of Duanne Olivier and call-ups for Prenelan Subrayen, Sisanda Magala and Ryan Rickelton were the most exciting aspects of the Proteas squad announced on Tuesday for the Test series against India.

Olivier last played for South Africa in February 2019 in the shock Test series loss to Sri Lanka. He then became a Kolpak player, but with that drain on resources thankfully coming to an end, he has returned home and is the leading wicket-taker in four-day cricket this season, with 28 scalps at 11.14 for the log-leading Central Gauteng Lions.

The 29-year-old Olivier has taken 48 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of just 19.25. His inclusion means the Proteas could field a most inhospitable trio of mean and nasty fast bowlers, alongside Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada.

Subrayen is the leading off-spinner in the country and bowled the Dolphins to the four-day title last season with his match figures of 10/80 against the Titans. But India, who are yet to announce their Test squad, do not have many left-handers in the reckoning, so the 28-year-old’s selection can be considered something of a surprise.

Magala has played white-ball cricket for the Proteas, but has also been in fine form in the four-day series for the Lions with 15 wickets at 14.33. Another Lions star, Rickelton, has been named in a few national squads but has yet to earn a cap. Given that he is in fine form, having scored two centuries in three innings this season, his debut will surely come soon.

The regular crew are all there in an expanded 21-man squad due to Covid bubbles, with the most notable omission being Lutho Sipamla, who has taken 12 wickets this season for the Lions at 13.50.

While most of the starting XI will choose itself, coach Mark Boucher and the selectors will be gearing up for a tricky decision in terms of one batting spot.

While Elgar, Markram, Bavuma, Van der Dussen and De Kock are all sure of their spots, the other specialist batting spot is a toss-up between Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne and Rickelton.

Petersen is the incumbent and, although he only scored 44 runs in three innings in the West Indies, they were tough batting conditions and he is averaging 50.20 for the KZN Dolphins this season.

While the fiery aggression of Olivier is a tantalising prospect, especially for SuperSport Park and the Wanderers, the selectors may want their third frontline seamer to offer something a bit different – either the control and seam movement of a Glenton Stuurman or the left-arm pace and bounce of the exciting Marco Jansen. Both have been in good form for the SA A team against India A.

Proteas squad: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Sarel Erwee, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Duanne Olivier, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Lungi Ngidi, Sisanda Magala, Beuran Hendricks.