Sharks’ Jaden Hendrikse brutally learned in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship semi-final defeat that fortunes can change very quickly in sport. Seven days earlier, he was celebrating as part of a winning side in the URC quarter-finals.
Hendrikse’s part in that shootout win was called out by several Munster fans who accused him of alleged gamesmanship in the dramatic kicking tee finish to the last-eight fixture which was deadlocked at 24-all after extra time.
The scrum-half was caught on TV winking at rival Jack Crowley after dropping to the floor in Durban with an injury that delayed the Irish player’s kick in the penalty shootout.
South African fans were delighted by Hendrikse’s antics in that 6-4 win, but the mood was very different this weekend with Munster fans instead thrilled that karma had so quickly caught up with the scrum-half.
“Couldn’t happen a nicer guy…”
There were just over 21 minutes played at Loftus Versfeld when Hendrikse dramatically slipped to the ground when trying to execute a clearance kick from his team’s five-metre line.
The ball only bobbled a few metres forward and the Bulls clinically reacted with Sebastian de Klerk gathering and executing a perfectly flighted cross-kick to the corner to allow Canan Moodie to catch and dive in to extend his team’s 7-0 lead.
The Bulls went on to win the semi-final 25-13 to book their place in next Saturday’s final away to Leinster, and online fans weren’t shy in having a laugh at Hendrikse’s expense following the Sharks’ loss. Here are some of the tweets posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter:
Clare O’Riordan: “Poetic justice. Was delighted to see the Bulls score from a silly, sloppy basic error by that scrum-half. Didn’t quite catch the name but I have heard he has a recurring, chronic injury that causes him to cramp… Excuses, excuses.”
@Piquetbirr: “Those cramps affect your balance something fierce.”
Julie Gleeson: “Couldn’t happen a nicer guy. Maybe he had a cramp, the craythur.”
Karen O’Halloran: “OMG, he has a cramp. Karma!”
Conor Counihan: “I’m here all DAY for Jaden Hendrikse making a f***ing tool of himself and handing the Bulls a try.”
Matt Zondagh: “Watching the Bulls vs Sharks game and Jaden Hendrikse hasn’t winked once. So disappointing!”
— Kevin Kelly (@KevinKelly21) June 7, 2025
@jim_demps: “Jaden Hendrikse got his cramp flop in too early in today’s game I think.”
@OJT40: “I’ll wink to that. Jaden Hendrikse turned into Steven Gerrard!”
@thepenGW: “Jaden Hendrikse slips, the Bulls score a try off it and most of Limerick p***es itself laughing.”
Cathal Roche: “Karma has no menu: you get served what you deserve.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/the-poetic-justice-verdict-on-jaden-hendrikse-making-a-tool-of-himself-versus-the-bulls
