No Springbok 'green light' for Cornal yet
There remains a cloud of uncertainty over the future of Bulls and Springbok utility Cornal Hendricks.
Despite having been given a ‘medical clearance’ by the Bulls, the 12-times capped 34-year-old has remained in the international wilderness.
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber on Tuesday revealed that the national team’s medical staff have not given the same clearance – despite having played franchise and domestic rugby for the past two years, without any issues.
Hendricks, who made his Test debut against Wales in 2014, was forced into semi-retirement due to a heart condition in 2016.
He refused to accept that fate and sought further medical advice and a pathway back to the game he loves.
That chance came ahead of the 2019 Super Rugby season, when Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White opened the door for his return.
Hendricks has been a stalwart for the Pretoria franchise since, mostly in the midfield, but occasionally still on the wing.
However, similar welcoming arms were not outstretched from the Bok management – although they have had ‘frank’ discussions with him about his situation.
Nienaber, in a media briefing on Tuesday, said that Hendricks remained “on the Bok radar”,
However, the much-needed clearance for his return to international rugby has not been forthcoming.
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“Our medical team hasn’t got the green light that he is all cleared for us,” said Nienaber.
“We can only go on what our medical team and our specialists are saying and the guidance they give us as selectors.”
Nienaber said one of the key selection indicators is ‘medical fitness’.
“We look at conditioning and his physical fitness.
“The moment we get clearance from the [medical] people that advise us [we will make that call].
“Obviously, the Bulls have people advising them, and we have people advising us.
“The moment they give us the green light on Cornal, then we can look at selecting him.
“I hope it gets sorted out because he’s been playing some good rugby, and he is somebody that we definitely have our eye on.
“We track him, we do performance analysis on him
“If the Bulls medical team decided that he was clear and he can play, then our guys must do the same from our side.
“We are guided by them, and the moment we get the green night, he will be up for selection.
“Currently nobody has given us the green light yet.”
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