Red-carded Lions' adversary gets Springboks call-up

Jaden Hendrikse, the Sharks scrumhalf that was infamously red-carded earlier in the tour, has received a call-up to the Springboks squad.

Hendrikse will join the Springbok squad in Cape Town on Monday as additional scrumhalf cover in the build-up to the Castle Lager Lions Series decider on Saturday 7 August.

Hendrikse was red-carded for striking Liam Williams in the head with an elbow. English referee Wayne Barnes, after consulting briefly with the television match official, sent him for an early shower. The British & Irish Lions crushed the Sharks 71-31 in Pretoria that evening but the match turned after the young scrumhalf was sent off.

A World Rugby U20 Championship Breakthrough Player of the Tournament nominee will provide additional cover in the specialist position, where he joins Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies and Cobus Reinach in the squad.

“Jaden is a talented player, and he has been in SA Rugby’s junior structures from a young age, so we are excited to see what he can do at this level,” said Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.

“We are in the opening stages of a physically demanding season with the Castle Lager Rugby Championship starting next week, so this will serve as a great opportunity to expose him to our structures and at the same time allow us to expand our depth with an eye on the future.”

After the final Test in the Castle Lager Lions Series on Saturday, the Springboks will travel from Cape Town to Nelson Mandela Bay for the opening two Tests of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, against Argentina on 14 and 21 August respectively.

“Jaden is not a malicious character as we know and we have seen him play many games,” Sharks coach Sean Everitt told reporters after the incident. “Unfortunately, there was a little bit of niggle in the game. I think his emotions got the better of him and he will learn from that.”