Hanekom stakes Bok claim as No 8 race heats up

THE weekend's United Rugby Championship quarter-finals left the impression that the consistent Bull, Cameron Hanekom, has stretched his legs towards the Springbok No 8 jersey temporarily vacated by the injured Jasper Wiese.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

Another strong performance by Hanekom in Saturday's United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Sharks will surely secure him the position.

In April, Wiese’s season in Japan came to a halt when he picked up a neck injury, prompting a return to South Africa for surgery. The 29-year-old is on the mend, but he is not on course for a comeback in time for the Springbok season that kicks off at the end of June.

The Boks warm up with a game against the Barbarians in Cape Town before their first meaningful engagement, the two-Test series against Italy in July.

And when Wiese is fit to return, he will need time off the Springboks bench to get closer to a start, as there is no other rugby available to him. As a Japan-based player, he cannot feature in the Currie Cup or anywhere else but with the Springboks.