VIDEO: Hendrikse's three steps for that 59m belter
VIDEO: Believe in yourself, head down, pale toe.
That is how Sharks flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse described his process as he stepped up to take the 59-metre kick that won the Currie Cup Final for his side at Ellis Park on Saturday.
It really was quite bizarre as the Lions had won the line-out after the hooter had sounded. They had to kick it out to win the game, but instead played it, and somehow the ball ended up in Sharks hands.
A penalty was awarded to the Sharks while attempting to run from their own half.
And what is a Currie Cup Final without a bit of drama?
Hendrikse stepped up and pointed to the goalposts, on the field where he had previously kicked numerous kicks while playing for the Lions.
And then the boos erupted from the bleachers.
But it did not deter the 23-year-old, nor the distance of 59 metres in drizzly and windy conditions.
“For me, it was just about staying calm and thinking about the small processes leading into the kick and backing yourself.
“Believe in yourself, head down, pale toe,” Hendrikse explained calmly.
“Coming to Ellis Park I knew fans would go against me, but it was just staying in the moment, staying in the game and just executing what we needed to.
“When it came to the last kick, it was just being in my space, in my mind and just backing that.
“I knew the whole game, the crowd always played a factor in terms of pressure moments and the atmosphere, but you just stayed in your mind and controlled the game.”
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Coach John Plumtree sitting next to him added that Hendrikse’s kick will go down in folklore as he patted his flyhalf on the leg.
“There’s a lot of young players in the team that have never won a Currie Cup – they will cherish this memory and Jordnan’s kick will go down in folklore.
“And that’s what it is all about,” the Sharks coach said as he tried to grasp how his side managed to grab victory in the dying moments of the Final.
Hendrikse said his family had been going through a tough time, but he was looking forward to watching his brother Jaden playing in the Test match against Argentina later on Saturday evening, adding that he dedicated the Currie Cup victory to his dad.
“This final was definitely for my dad. it will put a smile on his face,” Hendrikse said.
“This cup and this Final is definitely for him, I know he will be smiling down on us.”
Bench reaction from that Jordan Hendrikse kick 🤯#CarlingCurrieCup #CarlingCurrieCupFinal #LIOvSHA pic.twitter.com/M4quilNk7i
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) September 21, 2024
