Hooker plays down individual honour after Boks' epic victory
INTERVIEW: Ethan Hooker barely had enough energy to celebrate the Springboks’ thrilling 29-24 victory over the All Blacks before discovering he had been named Man of the Match.
After an exhausting 80-minute shift at FNB Stadium on Saturday night, the left wing admitted the individual accolade was the furthest thing from his mind as South Africa claimed a 2-1 lead in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
Hooker was immense on both sides of the ball, repeatedly carrying into heavy traffic and producing several crucial defensive interventions in front of more than 90,000 fans in Soweto.
But he only realised he had won the award when one of the Springbok team officials told him after the final whistle.
“It was the last thing on my mind because I was so exhausted after 80 minutes and so happy that we won,” Hooker said.
“I was like, ‘Flip, there’s a Man of the Match.’ It actually slipped my mind.”
‘We threw everything at this game’
Hooker said the Springboks knew Saturday’s Test was the pivotal match of the series after suffering a heavy defeat in the opening encounter.
The 23-year-old said there was never any talk of holding anything back.
“There was quite a bit of pressure, especially after that first game we lost.
“We knew the third game was always going to be the make-or-break for either team.
“We just said we’re going to throw everything at this game. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. We go again next week.”
Despite taking a 2-1 lead, Hooker insisted the job is far from finished.
“It’s not done. There’s still one more game left, and we’re going to focus all our energy on next week.”
Four straight Tests against the All Blacks takes its toll
The Greatest Rivalry has pushed both squads to their limits, with four consecutive Tests against New Zealand presenting a challenge Hooker has never experienced before.
“Every week is just as intense.
“Normally you have the privilege of facing them twice a year, and that’s quite a lot. But now we’ve got them four times back to back.
“It’s tough mentally. It’s tough physically.”
Even so, Hooker said the Springboks feel privileged to be part of such a historic series.
“We’re all honoured, and we’re really privileged to be able to face such a prestigious rugby nation four times in a row.”
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‘90,000 people in Soweto were insane’
Hooker also soaked up the atmosphere of his first Test at a packed FNB Stadium, describing the noise as unlike anything he had experienced.
“Today was insane. Ninety-thousand-odd people in Soweto.
“It was awesome. Credit to the guys who came out today. They really made it special.
“You can’t even hear the words you’re saying to someone 10 metres away because they won’t hear you.”
Now the series heads to Baltimore for the finale on neutral ground, and Hooker is embracing another new experience.
“Neutral venue, so it’s going to be a bit 50-50.
“First time in America. It’s going to be awesome.”
