The Sharks faced off against Irish side, Munster, this past Saturday in the quater-final of the United Rugby Championship (URC). The match was so tight that it went all the way to a penalty shoot-out. The Sharks emerged as winners but it was marred by controversy. It was sparked by Jaden Hendrikse.
It didn’t take too much to divert the attention from a match that, outside of the first place-kicking shoot-out in URC history, offered very little in terms of extended quality entertainment while the referee’s clock was running in regular time and the 20 minutes of extra time.
A cheeky wink by one of the kickers in the place-kicking shoot-out, Jaden Hendrikse, aimed at Munster flyhalf, Jack Crowley, spurred a few days of social media outbursts from rugby fans globally, calling the act, "unsportmanlike" and, "against the values of the game," along with plenty of more unsavoury comments directed towards the Sharks scrumhalf.
It even drew a reaction from Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on X. He posted a picture which he believes shows the scrumhalf not faking it and that he was indeed suffering with cramp. The Boks boss also included a shrugging emoji, suggesting that he does not quite understand what all the furore is about.
The social media fallout was largely excessive for an event so frivolous but it wasn't uncharacteristic for rugby as a sport, whose loudest voices can evidently be self-righteous of the behaviour of its athletes.
Springboks captain, Siya Kolisi, has come out to bat for his club and Test team-mate after the scrumhalf’s actions in the URC quarter-final. Hendrikse stole the spotlight during the penalty shoot-out between the Sharks and Munster in Durban when he went down with cramp after taking his second shot at goal.
To be precise, Hendrikse first screamed and writhed in pain from an apparent cramp in his leg, which was the result of the kicking motion to slot his second successful penalty of the shoot-out.
Sharks’ physios rushed on to the field and treated Hendrikse, who appeared to be in genuine discomfort. All this took place within a few metres of where Munster flyhalf Crowley was preparing to take his second kick of the shoot-out.
Crowley was understandably annoyed at the commotion as he was trying to focus on an important kick. Referee Mike Adamson told him to wait. In his froth, Crowley let the Sharks’ physios know his thoughts, telling them to, "f**k off" from the playing field.
Hendrikse, on his back and observing the little spat, decided to use the moment for a bit of gamesmanship and winked at Crowley. Many onlookers believe that it was all a gamesmanship ploy to put the Irish international off and accused him of cheating by feigning an injury.
If so, it didn't work on the playmaker who duly stepped up after the delay to bisect the posts. However, his kick mattered little as Rory Scanell’s earlier missed attempt meant Munster lost the penalty shoot-out 6-4 with Bradley Davids slotting the winner for the hosts after the two sides were deadlocked at 24-all after extra-time
Leinster and former Springbok boss, Jacques Nienaber, has since defended Hendrikse’s actions and pointed to Ireland being 'masters' of sledging when he was quizzed about the events that unfolded in Durban ahead of his side’s clash against Glasgow Warriors in Dublin this week.
Kolisi has followed suit and states that the Sharks team are fully behind their scrumhalf. "We stand with Jaden, he is competitive. There has been banter everywhere in the game. We’ve seen it from players from all over the world," Kolisi told reporters ahead of the Sharks’ semi-final clash with the Bulls.
"There is always a big thing about it but it’s normal. These things happen. And people can say what they like. It’s banter between two players, and that’s all it is. And that’s what Jaden is. From our side, he knows we’re backing him all the way."
The Sharks scrumhalf has received plenty of criticism for his behaviour during his team’s URC quarter-final victory over Munster in Durban on Saturday. However, Hendrikse‘s actions during the shoot-out left the Irish province’s players and fans in an angry mood as the Springboks star delivered what appeared to be an act of gamesmanship.
Despite their triumph, Hendrikse’s behaviour was the main talking point after the game and several rugby fans on social media condemned his actions while the Telegraph newspaper described it as, "shameless gamesmanship."
Munster fans were livid on X, with one supporter, Barry Murphy, making his feelings clear by saying: "Jaden Hendrikse is my least favorite rugby player that has ever played the game of rugby. Like and share if you agree. Go f**k yourself."
Another one, called, duddy, said: "Hopefully, Jaden Hendrikse will someday be found at the bottom of a ruck, with 15 sets of stud marks on his back."
Irish sports website, Balls.ie, didn't hold back either and simply posted: "Disgraceful" on their X feed. Will Slattery said: "Thoughts and prayers with Jaden Hendrikse after that awful injury. Crowley fully justified in telling him and the Sharks backroom team where to go."
Despite that backlash, South African fans had the opposite reaction with Darrel Bristow-Bovey saying: "I didn’t really like Jaden Hendrickse before that wink. Now I love him." Meanwhile, another supporter, Emily Maher, replied: "Its hard to ever know what SA rugby stands for, just so many contradictions in their fanbase."
It's hard to argue against the evidence. To me, it's a natural part of the game to try and distract the opposing player/s. I'm probably being biased because I'm a South African. Regardless, I'll bet that if the shoe was on the other foot, the Irish and Munster fans would've praised the action until kingdom come.
This is essentially a battle of two sides: the team that won would support the action while the losers would complain. There will never be a clear judgement/decision. There won't be an impartial person in existence. A side has to be taken. You either love the action or you hate it.