The 23-year-old rookie is now on tour with the Boks in Australia.
If Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been the discover of the worldwide season, then Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been the surprise choice.
Not too many rugby watchers would have predicted that Wessels could be half of the Springbok set-up this season, particularly after not even securing a spot within the Bulls’ first-choice 23.
The former Grey College prodigy has at instances over the past yr not even made the Bulls’ second staff, however only a few weeks in the past was known as into the Boks’ squad for the primary time and he then made his debut towards Portugal in Bloemfontein two Saturdays in the past.
Obviously, Bok boss Rassie Erasmus has had his eye on the 23-year-old for a while, as had Bulls coach Jake White, however the issue for Wessels, and his coaches, is that he and so they in all probability nonetheless don’t know the place finest to make use of the massive man.
Versatility
Wessels began at prop for the Boks, the place he’s additionally run out for the Bulls, however he’s equally comfy at hooker, whereas in his adolescence he performed lock. He’s 1.93 m tall and suggestions the scales at 120kg.
Right now although it seems Wessels’ future is at prop.
His schoolboy coach, Wessel du Plessis, not too long ago advised SuperSport the way it got here to be that Wessels ended up within the entrance row.
“As a youngster he played lock, but then at u16 level we realised he wasn’t going to be 2m tall, and we moved him to prop,” mentioned Du Plessis.
“We felt he’d have a profession as a prop … after which in his grade 11 and 12 years he labored carefully with (former Grey pupil and Bok prop) Wian du Preez and likewise with (present Bok scrum coach) Daan Human, who got here in and helped with the scrums.
“Then, when I moved to the Bulls and Jan-Hendrik joined after school, he changed to hooker, so, to be versatile like that I think he’ll have a big career.”
Bok tour of Australia
Erasmus defined earlier than the Boks’ journey to Australia this final week, for the Rugby Championship Tests towards the Wallabies, that Wessels was within the squad primarily as a result of Steven Kitshoff is at the moment nonetheless on his means again to peak health.
Wessels, who’s been half of all of the SA Rugby junior constructions, mentioned he was simply thrilled to be now half of the Bok set-up.
“It was a surprise and dream come true when I was first selected for the squad, but to get the opportunity to play against Portugal, and now to tour with the team to Australia has made me even hungrier to be part of this special environment,” Wessels advised the SA Rugby website.
“The fact that this will be my first overseas tour with the Boks will make this moment even more memorable for me and my only objective will be to go out there and give my best for the team if I’m selected to play.”
Wessels is unlikely to get a sport in Australia within the subsequent two Tests, with Erasmus set to proceed with Ox Nche as his loosehead starter with Gerhard Steenekamp as his seemingly back-up, whereas Thomas du Toit also can play either side of the entrance row. Frans Malherbe and Vincent Koch are the specialist tightheads on tour.
But, one suspects the rugby world will see much more of Wessels within the years to come back … that is certainly only the start for the versatile front-row man.
The 33-man Bok squad in the meantime arrived in Brisbane on Thursday the place they are going to be based mostly this coming week forward of the Test towards the Wallabies subsequent Saturday. The groups will conflict once more the next Saturday, in Perth, earlier than the Boks return residence for back-to-back Tests towards the All Blacks.
The world champions full their Rugby Championship programme in September with an away and a house match towards Argentina.
