Semi-professional starlet Ntokozo Makhaza will ‘definitely’ play for the Springboks one day, claims head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Makhaza is set to link up with the Cheetahs ahead of the Currie Cup season but could make his professional debut in the Springboks Green and Gold, having starred for UCT in the Varsity Cup.
His exploits for Ikeys during the last two tournaments not only led to a contract with the Cheetahs but also back-to-back Player of the Year and Backline Player of the Year awards.
And subsequently, a shock call-up to the Springboks squad.
Rassie Erasmus praises Ntokozo Makhaza
Erasmus has now revealed the reasoning behind his call-up and detailed how Makhaza has fitted into the set-up.
“It’s been a pleasure since the first day we phoned him,” Erasmus said after the second day of the Springboks’ on-field training camp.
“As a coaching team, we have been together since 2018, and we have tried to look at all the structures from the SA Cup, Currie Cup and so on, but we are never really sure. If we grab a player from the Japanese league, Top 14 or Premiership, you can sort of gauge where they are.
“With him being consistently the top scorer in the Varsity Cup’s history, being 22,23 years old, you sort of feel that he is one of the players who slipped through the net.
“And you will never know until you work with him and find out his personality, and then meet him on the field. We know that if we pick up a Currie Cup player, it will take a while for him to reach the Springbok level.”
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Bound to be a Springbok
The Bok boss is certain that Makhaza will one day play for the Test team but says that the coaching team and players are realistic about his current capabilities, having yet to play a professional match.
Still, Erasmus is mightily impressed with the winger’s ability off the tee, particularly when considering that he played much of the Varsity Cup in Cape Town with infamous windy conditions.
“He is someone we believe can definitely play for the Springboks, it might be a bit too early now, but we knew that we would be without some players with the Bulls and Sharks at this camp,” he continued.
“Guys like Makazole Mapimpi or Kurt-Lee Arendse wouldn’t be here with the URC final, so there was a gap in the wing position.
“He slotted in really well, but we are all realistic about him. I think he can one day play for the Springboks, it’s not around the corner like in the next two or three weeks but he is certainly not way off the pace.
“A guy who kicks very close to 92% for UCT in that windy weather and does so that consistently, that’s nine or 12 points in a match for you.
“So I think he is going to make it one day.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/rassie-erasmus-believes-semi-pro-call-up-slipped-through-the-net-but-will-definitely-play-for-the-springboks
