Ethan Hooker set for midfield role with Springboks, confirms Rassie
The Sharks man has played wing and centre this season.
Ethan Hooker during a Springbok training session in Johannesburg ahead of the start of the international season next weekend. Picture: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
Exciting rising Sharks talent Ethan Hooker is set to be deployed in the midfield should he get a chance for the Springboks in their first four games of the season over the coming month.
The Boks get their 2025 season under way with a non-Test against the Barbarians in Cape Town next week, before taking on Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), and Georgia in Mbombela as part of the incoming series.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has said that he is going to use these four games to experiment a bit, give some caps to players who have less experience, and try build some winning momentum ahead of the Rugby Championship.
The 22-year-old Hooker, who started off his senior career with the Sharks at centre, as been largely used on the wing over the past season and has played superbly. Erasmus, however, said Hooker would be considered as a centre.
'We don't put pressure on those guys (the unions) to play certain guys in certain positions or certain styles (of play). That's why we have the alignment camps, just to make sure the guys know what we expect at Springbok level and in the year what they will have to change,' explained Erasmus.
'So we don't put them (the Bok squad) on the field before the physical training camp that we have now had (ahead of the start of the season).
'It's very difficult to judge a guy like Ethan Hooker who (usually) plays wing for the Sharks, and they've got a certain defence system. But we see him as a 13 and want to use him there.'
De Allende link-up
Springbok veteran inside centre Damian de Allende is looking forward to possibly playing alongside Hooker this season, and helping to guide a player who he believes is set to have a long career with the Boks.
'I think I can learn a lot from Ethan. The way he's played in the URC this (past) season has been incredible. I think he's been the backbone of the Sharks backline. He's always going forward and is very dominant,' said De Allende.
'I would love to train with him a bit more and obviously play with him. Just to get a good feel for him and his communication on the field. I have trained alongside him a bit, but it hasn't been that much. But (from what I have seen) he's got a good head on his shoulders and a great future ahead of him.
'So myself, Jesse (Kriel), Andre (Esterhuizen), and Lukhy (Lukhanyo Am), will do the best we can to make sure that we can give him as much knowledge as possible, so that when he does get the opportunity, he is ready and can go out there and express himself.'
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