Why ‘X-factor’ Ethan Hooker could have ‘quite the career’ for Springboks
Ethan Hooker starts on the wing for the Springboks against Argentina.
It’s not a famous figure in rugby whose words greet visitors to the Sharks offices in Durban, but that of legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
After South Africa suffered their second defeat in three games in the Rugby Championship, with one performance described as dog**** by head coach Rassie Erasmus, his solution to “getting back up” was to drop seven of the 15 players who lost 24-17 to New Zealand, with five new backs coming in to a younger looking Springbok side.
Home comforts
One of the starters is a young man who sees Lombardi’s quote every day as a Sharks centre. Ethan Hooker was born and grew up in Durban, and will run out at his home ground with childhood friends and family amongst the thousands in attendance against Argentina this weekend.
“Even in 2021, I never saw rugby as a realistic future for me,” says the 22-year-old. “It was only when I got game time as Sharks junior a year later that I thought this is what I want as a career, that this could happen.”
Hooker made his Springbok debut as a substitute in the win against Italy in July, then came on again as a replacement against New Zealand in a 24-17 defeat that riled Erasmus. The only positive was the display of the young guns coming off the bench in the second half. This led to his first start in the rematch against the All Blacks the following week, where he played a vital role in the epic 43-10 victory in Wellington.
“In three months working with him at Westville Boys High (in Durban) he probably said 200 words to me,” recalls Sharks youth coach Mzamo Majola. “But with his work-rate and physicality he really stood out. He set such high standards for himself and transferred this to his teammates – he let them know what was expected of them.”
Sir John Kirwan: ‘Rassie Erasmus is not a Springboks coach, he’s a South African god’
Majola was not surprised when Hooker got the call-up to the national team, after already impressing in the U20 Championship in 2023.
“He has the X-factor. He can create something out of nothing. He’s so physical, especially for a young man,” he said.
Hooker himself remembers the step up to the first South Africa alignment camp, where more than 50 players spend three days training together.
“It’s 7am to 7pm every day. There are also five meetings a day. If you’re not good enough, someone will replace you. You’re on the edge the whole time,” said the back.
It’s testament to how well he has performed that despite playing at centre at the Sharks, for the Boks he is selected at wing. Majola is confident he knows why, saying: “I understand why they do it. They want to accommodate all the best backs and because he does the basics so well even his bad games are good. A bad game for Ethan is seven out of ten.”
Low error rate
Majola believes it’s just the start of a long career, adding: “His effort and physicality are obvious, but on top of that his error rate is so low. At international level, if you don’t make mistakes, you usually win. This could give him quite a career.”
With five Sharks players in the starting XV for the Springboks in Durban, it’s a huge occasion in front of a local crowd that are increasingly excited about their home-grown star.
by Robert Hillier
