Cameron Hanekom excited ahead of Springbok debut

The Bulls back rower has enjoyed a couple of barnstorming with the Pretoria franchise. In last year's United Rugby Championship, Hanekom was ranked second in the competition for offloads with 24 and fourth in turnovers won with 15. Combined with 70 successful carries and a 93% tackle success rate over just 15 games and it's not hard to see why his battle stats piqued the interest of Bok boss Rassie Erasmus.

After featuring in the Bok alignment camp earlier this year, Hanekom earned a place on the end-of-year tour and is now poised to make his Bok debut off the bench in Cardiff on Saturday.

"Since I was a child, it has been a dream to play for the Springboks," the 22-year-old told the press on Wednesday.

"To have that dream become a reality on Saturday is unbelievable. I am just very grateful for it and I am very privileged to be here.

"I'll take the opportunity with both hands. I've had a collective buy-in from all the players to help me be prepared to the best of my ability for the game. All the players are very excited for me.

"It feels a bit unrealistic and it still hasn't kicked in. Having a collective buy-in from everybody is great. It gives me confidence knowing they see something in me that will help contribute to the plan that we have."

Hanekom's dream continues as he interacts with the coaching staff. He was just ten-years-old when Bok behemoth Duane Vermeulen made his debut for the national side in 2012. Now, he's receiving instruction from his hero.

"I have been looking up to him since I was a kid," he continued.

"Now I call him Coach Duane. Being able to work with the best No.8 in the world is a massive privilege and honour."

The athletic and explosive loose forward can cover flanker or eigthman, as well as being a lineout option because of his height, making him a versatile asset going forward for the Boks. Erasmus has made no secret how high he rates player versatility, partly because it allows for aggressive combinations on the bench.

Incredibly, when Hanekom comes off the bench on Saturday, he will be the 51st different Springbok to be used by Erasmus in 2024.

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