Nothing should be read into Hendrikse omission, says Nienaber: 'We know what he can do'

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber says Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse has been more a victim of circumstance than anything after he was omitted from the team to play Argentina in South Africa's final game before the Rugby World Cup squad is announced next Tuesday.

Despite rising to South Africa's starting scrumhalf in World Cup winner Faf de Klerk's injury-enforced absence last year, Hendrikse has yet to play a match this international season, missing all three Rugby Championship matches and not making the 23 to front Argentina in a World Cup friendly in Buenos Aires on Saturday (kick-off 21.10). The 23-year-old is one of only four of the Boks' World Cup preparation squad of 42 who has not had a run yet, the others being the injured duo of Siya Kolisi and Handre Pollard, and Elton Jantjies, who only came in as injury cover for Pollard.

The Boks still have two more warm-up games remaining before the big show, against Wales and New Zealand on 19 and 25 August. But with the squad to defend the Webb Ellis Cup being named on 8 August 8, it bears asking whether Hendrikse - whose build-up to France 2023 has also been disrupted by the death of his father Brian ahead of the Rugby Championship - has already missed his chance. In a team announcement in which he also named hooker Bongi Mbonambi as captain for the first time and Bulls loose-head prop Gerhard Steenekamp as a potential debutant off the bench, Nienaber said not much should be read into Hendrikse's omission.

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"The thing around Jaden is he probably would have played if it wasn't for the unfortunate family tragedy that happened with his father," Nienaber explained. "The plan and how we'd plotted things