Sharpshooter Hendrikse 'in the zone'
10/04/2024 03:33 AM
Jordan Hendrikse is riding a wave of confidence as the Springbok playmaker embarks on a new chapter with the Sharks, and his powerful boot is turning heads. DYLAN JACK reports.
In an exclusive interview with SARugbymag.co.za, the 23-year-old playmaker reflected on his remarkable start to life at the Sharks, having returned to Durban from the Lions in June.
Hendrikse has particularly caught the eye with his form off the kicking tee, which saw him follow up his Currie Cup heroics with a 55-meter penalty in the Vodacom URC season-opener against Connacht in Galway.
“When we got the penalty, most of the players were shouting, ‘Jordan, Jordan’. For me, it was just staying calm and just being in the moment,” Hendrikse recalled about the penalty in overtime against his former team.
“What better place is there to do that than Ellis Park where I played so many games, practised so many kicks from that distance, you know, what better place, you know, to do that and to do that in the final.
“For me, it was just backing myself and just staying in the moment, just staying in that zone. I think lots of kickers can allude to that.
“Just be present in the moment and just be in your zone. Focus on your next step and also just don’t overthink it. When it comes to overthinking that’s when you think, ‘Okay, one more step left, one more step forward’, when it’s just about focusing on keeping the main thing and that’s kicking the ball and just backing yourself.
“The confidence the kick that gave me from the final, I definitely took it into the next game we played, and we also discussed that that’s something we can also use to our advantage if we’re in the range and want to put a bit of scoreboard pressure on team,” he added.
“I’ve always had confidence in kicking those. If it’s in my range, I’ll go for it. That’s also depending on the game, the situation, and how the game is going.”
Away from goalkicking, Hendrikse has been in superb form at fullback for the Sharks since making his Test debut for the Springboks in the opener against Wales at Twickenham.
His defensive attributes, kicking out of hand and strong carries on the gainline were all key to the Sharks following up their Challenge Cup win with a domestic title.
“That was me wanting to play again. Going through a couple of weeks of pre-season at the Sharks helped me settle in,” Hendrikse explained.
“The hunger was always there, especially coming from such a high achievement to not playing again. So the hunger was definitely boiling to play again. You could see it in the last few games.
“I just wanted to play and express myself and, whether I played 10, 12 or 15. My biggest thing was just getting to play, and enjoy the game. I’m blessed and fortunate to do that with a new team and guys that back me completely.”
The upcoming clash against the Dragons in Newport holds extra significance for Hendrikse, as it will mark the first Vodacom URC game where he shares the field with his older brother Jaden, who has returned from international duty to start at scrumhalf for the Sharks.
“It’s definitely something I look forward to and something that we’ve always dreamed of playing professionally together,” Hendrikse said. “It was always our father’s dream, to see us playing together.”
Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images
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