Rassie Erasmus Praises Springboks Star After Playing Huge Role off the Bench Against All Blacks
- Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus singled out Cameron Hanekom for praise following the Boks' 43-28 victory over New Zealand in Baltimore
- Hanekom, 24, has played five of his six Tests for South Africa this year after missing the entire 2025/26 international season through injury
- With the Rugby World Cup in Australia on the horizon, questions around depth at No 8 are becoming increasingly relevant for the Springbok coaching staff
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Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has publicly backed Cameron Hanekom following a series of increasingly influential performances off the bench, describing the 24-year-old as someone who is growing into the system game by game.
Erasmus made the comments after the Springboks defeated the All Blacks 43-28 in Baltimore, a result that sealed the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 in South Africa's favour.
Hanekom entered the match with 11 minutes remaining but made an immediate impact, delivering strong carries, key tackles, and a turnover that ultimately led to a try.
Erasmus: 'I'm very happy for him'
The Bok coach explained after the match that the timing of Hanekom's substitution had involved careful consideration, particularly given that Pieter-Steph du Toit was carrying cramps and Jasper Wiese was visibly fatigued.
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"Cameron Hanekom was awesome," Erasmus said. "Pieter-Steph [du Toit] was cramping, and Jasper was obviously tired. [We wondered] do we put Cameron on now? But maybe PT can go 80, or if I put Cameron on now at 8 and PT has cramps then we might have to play with 14 men in the last 11 minutes against New Zealand, who attack like that."
He added: "He's just getting better game after game. You can see he's starting to be comfortable in the system with the boys around him. I'm very happy for him."
Hanekom's inclusion at this level came about partly due to an injury to Kwagga Smith, which allowed the coaching staff to assess him in a live Test environment. His performances have since spoken for themselves, with a try-scoring contribution in a hard-fought 17-10 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires last month, preceding his Baltimore display.
World Cup depth a growing consideration
The former URC Next Gen Player of the Year missed all of the 2025/26 international season through injury, making his return to form this year particularly notable. He has now appeared in five of his six career Tests in 2026 alone.
With the Rugby World Cup in Australia scheduled for next year, the Springbok coaching staff are actively monitoring depth at the No. 8 position behind Wiese, 30, and Smith, 33. Hanekom's progress has placed him firmly in contention for a more prominent role.
Wiese is expected to be rested for the upcoming one-off Test against Australia in Perth in two weeks, having started four consecutive matches against New Zealand. Hanekom and Evan Roos, 26, are likely to receive opportunities in that fixture as the coaches continue to assess their options ahead of the tournament.
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Source: Briefly News
