Wessels to focus solely on hooker as Springboks look for permanent backup for Marx
· Citizen
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is eager for utility front ranker Jan-Hendrik Wessels to focus on becoming an out and out hooker, which could lead to him becoming a permanent backup to Malcolm Marx.
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Wessels can play both loosehead prop and hooker, but more often than not finds himself turning out at prop for both the Boks and Bulls.
In 20 games for the Bulls over the past season, Wessels played 17 as a prop and just three as a hooker, while for the Boks he has been named in the number 16 jersey four times in five games, but on two occasions, against England and the All Blacks came on at prop, while against Scotland he came on at prop and then shifted to hooker later on.
Develop into hooker
At a Springbok press conference this week, Erasmus explained that with the depth the Boks currently boast at loosehead prop, they would now be pushing Wessels to focus on the hooker position.
Erasmus though feels Wessels still needs time to adjust and be eased into the position, which is one of the reasons why the Boks have backed veteran utility forward Deon Fourie as the hooker replacement for the second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday.
“Jan-Hendrik is going to develop into a reserve hooker,” said Erasmus this week.
“With Boan (Venter) and Gerhard (Steenekamp), Ox (Nche), Ntuks (Ntuthuko Mchunu) and Thomas (Du Toit), Jan-Hendrik will probably focus more on hooker.
“He is picking it up slowly, getting game time and scrum time against good guys at training sessions. At this stage we feel that for this specific game (on Saturday) we need a guy like Deon there, but in the long run he (Wessels) is in the mix.”
Fourie back in Boks picture
Speaking fondly about Fourie, who Erasmus has had a long working relationship with, the Bok boss revealed how he had given the 39-year-old his nickname of “Brannas”.
“I coached him since he was 18 and I actually gave him the nickname Brannas. We once flew together on a flight after Western Province had won the U19 title and I saw him pouring a ‘skelm’ (sneaky) brandy,” recalled Erasmus.
“I coached him for many years. He played flanker for us and then I moved him to hooker. The guy was a gymnast and a wrestler. It’s remarkable that he can still play at this high level.”
Saturday’s second Test between the Boks and All Blacks in Cape Town kicks off at 5.10pm.