One of the highlights of the Bulls’ season has been the reincarnation of Cornal Hendricks as an inside centre. It appeared as if the former Springbok wing was going to be released following the arrival of Jake White, but the ex-Bok coach retreaded the 32-year-old from Paarl into a midfielder.
It has been an astounding success, with Hendricks providing a dynamic presence in the backline. He uses his footwork to good effect, getting the ball early from Morné Steyn and Ivan van Zyl in a deep position and using his trademark sidestep to get over the advantage line.
He is physical in contact, but has also showcased his offloading skills and ability to spread the ball wide.
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Having been a Blitzbok star, Hendricks is a strong defender as well, with a willingness to get stuck in at the breakdown and make big hits.
His direct opponent, Sharks No 12 Marius Louw, is as robust as they come, as he was a flank earlier in his career. Louw flies into rucks to compete on the ground, and puts his body on the line in defence and as a ball-carrier, so Hendricks will be tested without the ball too.
But coming back from a heart issue that sidelined him for a few years, his hunger is evident in his play, and he would like nothing more than to repay the Bulls’ faith in him with another sterling performance, having been the Man of the Match in the semi-final against the Lions.
MIKE GREENAWAY
When Springbok Andre Esterhuizen left the Sharks for London Harlequins in April last year, coach Sean Everitt laid down the challenge of replacing the beefy centre to Jeremy Ward and Marius Louw.
Each was given opportunities but it was Louw, who in 2013 had captained Grey College in Bloemfontein from the No 6 position, who quickly grabbed the No 12 jersey and has owned it ever since.
Ward, who had been favoured to take over at 12, has not had a look in as Louw put in a series of Man-of-theMatch performances.
Louw has proved that you can bring physicality in various ways — you don’t have to be Esterhuizen’s size (89kgs vs 116kgs) to make an impact. It is Louw’s incredible work rate that makes up for the disparity in size between him and Esterhuizen.
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Louw is a busy player that injects energy into the team.
He is one of those players that is everywhere all at once — making tackles, taking high balls, working hard at the breakdowns — and that makes up for the Sharks no longer having the bulk of Esterhuizen.
When Louw first came to the Sharks Academy straight out of school (2014), it was former Springbok and Sharks centre Deon Kayser who made the wise decision to transform Louw from a smallish loose forward into an abrasive centre, and the move has been a resounding success.
Having been a flank, Louw understands the breakdown better than most backline players and his ability to win turnovers in that area is invaluable.