Cape Town - Not too long ago, Stedman Gans was arguably the best outside centre playing in South Africa.
Lukhanyo Am is the finest No 13 in the world, but that took nothing away from Gans, who had formed an incredible midfield partnership with Cornal Hendricks for the Bulls during the Super Rugby Unlocked competition at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown in Mzansi.
Gans was the leading try-scorer in that tournament, which led to Hendricks saying in late 2020 that the former Blitzbok captain should be picked for the Springboks when they returned to action in 2021.
But a hamstring and then a serious ankle injury sidelined him for months, and then he formed part of the Blitzbok squad at the Tokyo Olympics, and he hasn’t really been used much since in midfield at the Bulls – which has also affected his chances at national level, as he is unlikely to even make the SA ‘A’ squad that will be announced on Friday.
Gans has played a few games at wing on the odd occasion, but last week he got a chance to don the No 13 jersey against Benetton, and showcased his undoubted class once more.
While there were a few errors in defence, the 25-year-old added muchneeded bite to the Bulls attack in the resounding 44-22 bonus-point victory at the Stadio Monigo in Treviso, which avenged their Rainbow Cup final defeat at the same venue in June 2021.
Veteran centre Lionel Mapoe has done a solid job ahead of Gans over the past 12 months, and operates smartly alongside his old Lions mate Harold Vorster. But at 34, the former Bok doesn’t quite have the same speed he possessed when he used to haul out the ‘rooster’ try celebration at the Cheetahs and Lions, although he still plays a valuable role in the Bulls set-up – especially as a mentor to the youngsters, which is something Canan Moodie mentioned recently.
Gans, though, has that extra agility that makes him a real threat on attack, and he put in some strong runs and tried to keep the Benetton defence guessing last Friday night. He will hope to get another start in the No 13 jersey in Sunday’s blockbuster United Rugby Championship showdown with the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld (3pm kickoff), although he won’t encounter the injured Am on the opposite side.
The Sharks have mixed and matched their midfield combinations this season in Am’s absence, with the likes of former Wallaby Ben Tapuai, Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Marnus Potgieter doing duty.
Janse van Rensburg is still suspended for a dangerous tackle he made against Zebre a couple of weeks ago, so Potgieter – who left the Bulls for the Sharks – will be keen to make an impression against his former team.
But for Gans, the Sharks clash represents an ideal chance to remind the Bok coaches of his talent, and continue to impress Bulls boss Jake White to earn selection for the rest of the season, as there are some big games coming up in December – including the Champions Cup.