How Hendrikse forced his way into Bok No.10 jumper

STAT ATTACK: There has been loads of talk around the selection of Jordan Hendrikse at flyhalf for the Springboks.

Not only has Hendrikse been selected at No.10 over Manie Libbok, but the 22-year-old has also been preferred over his Lions teammate Sanele Nohamba.

The playmaker Nohamba has been the star of the Lions team, covering flyhalf and scrumhalf.

His incredible form saw him being named the 2023/24 United Rugby Championship Player of the Season. He managed to beat rising Bulls star Cameron Hanekom and Springbok sensation Kurt-Lee Arednse for the coveted award.

But despite his incredible form and edging  Hendrikse to the Lions’ No.10 jersey, Nohamba failed to make the Springbok cut.

There is no doubt, that Nohamba is an extremely talented player and maybe one day he will get a chance to shine in the green and gold.

Nohamba has been incredible on attack, scoring 106 points in 13 games for the Lions.

However, it seems like his defence is the one area in his game which left him out in the cold.

In a stats graphic compiled by the verified X user @CaptSpringbok, it shows that Nohamba has the worst defence compared to the other scrumhalves and flyhalves in the country.

Based on the URC, EPCR and rugby website AllRugby, Nohamba has a tackle success rate of 60 percent, leaving him at the bottom of the list for defence.

For his 1443 minutes played he made 52 tackle attempts and only nailed 31.

In contrast, his Lions teammate Hendrikse tops the list for tackle success with 94 percent.

Playing 1087 minutes, Hendrikse made 138 tackles out of his 147 attempts.

The Sharks-bound Hendrikse also beat  Libbok (70 percent) and his future teammate Siya Masuku (66 percent).

While a Springbok call-up does not come down to one single stat, it is certainly a very important one in the set-up.

And it also explains why Hendrikse has been selected to start at flyhalf this weekend against Wales.

Source: @CaptSpringbok & All Rugby