Is this guy the next Beast?

VIDEO: Whether you call him a swinger or a Swiss army knife, Jan-Hendrik Wessels is one of the few Springboks who is wholeheartedly focused on two different positions at national level.

The Bulls’ utility forward is following in the big footsteps of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira who was able to switch from loose forward to the front row but kept his athleticism and the ability to move around the field.

And Wessels has no plans of sticking with either one of these positions anytime soon.

The ‘Beast’  is one of the most iconic players to have ever represented the Springboks. The powerful former prop played 117 Tests for the Springboks and also finished his career as the most capped Super Rugby player in South Africa, having featured in 159 games for the Sharks.

Other versatile players who graced the international stage include Andrew Porter, Jason Leonard, and Fran Cotton, known for their ability to play both prop positions (loosehead and tighthead) as well as hooker, making them valuable assets to their teams.

Wessels has always been an enigma. Born in Bloemfontein and schooled at Grey College, he was a superstar in age-group rugby.

The 23-year-old featured at lock, loose forward, and in the front row at school while his coach at the Bulls, Jake White, started out grooming him at hooker. Since then, he has effortlessly moved between the No.2 position and loosehead.

His versatility in the front row is one of the features that make him attractive to Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Ever since his Springbok debut against Portugal in Bloemfontein last year, it has been evident that Wessels just goes about his business without a second thought.

He is a no-nonsense player who simply puts his head down and bullocks his way forward – whether it’s in training or a game.

He is highly rated by Erasmus, who sees him as a big part of the 2027 plan.

“Jan-Hendrik Wessels was one [player] that we earmarked for our EPD [Elite Player Development] system since he started,” the coach said ahead of the Bloemfontein Test.

“He was always a loosehead [prop]. He played loosehead with Andre-Hugo Venter at Grey [College].

“The nice thing about Jan-Hendrik is he is [now] covering No.1 and No.2.”

In that Test against Portugal Wessels started at prop with Thomas du Toit and Johan Grobbelaar and has since featured at hooker as well for the world champions.

“He is somebody that we are really excited about. Come a World Cup, you might not take five props, you can take four hookers because a guy like him can swing both sides,” said Erasmus.

Anytime Wessels moves in front of the laptop to face reporters, like he did on Monday ahead of Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarterfinal against Edinburgh, he once again addresses his dual role.

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“There’s a side picked on the weekend and each individual has his job to do. I think where rugby is going at the moment, the eight guys on the bench are almost just as important as the guys starting,” the 23-year-old said.

“If the coaches select me there, it’s my responsibility to do my utmost best.

“So, if it’s the No.1 jersey or the No.17, or the No.2 jersey or the No.16 jersey, it’s just for me to do my best and give it all to the team.

“At the moment, I’m focusing on both positions, so I don’t have a preference. It’s just for me to grow as a player.”

In the Bulls’ 32-22 victory over Bayonne in France last weekend, Wessels wore the No.16 jersey but came on at loosehead before seamlessly shifting to the middle of the front row.

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And once more, his line-out throwing looked impressive.

“I scrum in both positions in the week. I won’t say it’s a planned thing going into the weekend, but it’s always a possibility,” he explained on how he prepares for game day.

“From my side, I want to do everything I can through the week to be at my utmost prepared for both positions.

“If you get time under the belt in the game, it helps a lot,” he said. “We’ve got good locks coming through and the guys make it really easy picking the right options.

“You can always slip a lift or something like that and you’ll look at the hooker and it’s maybe his fault. But for the guys pitching up on Saturday, it’s just working hard to perfect everything and it’s obviously making my job a lot easier.”