Jonathan Mokuena believes Bulls loose forward Jeandré Rudolph has what it takes to play for the Springboks, but is unsure whether that’ll happen under Rassie Erasmus.
Rudolph has been in impressive form over the past year, but the 32-year-old faces fierce competition for places in a Springbok loose-forward department packed with quality.
Mokuena, who coached Rudolph at North-West University when the Potch side won the Varsity Cup in 2016, believes the Bulls forward has what it takes to play Test rugby.
“Jeandré is definitely good enough [for the Springboks] and he would undoubtedly be able to add value,” Mokuena told Netwerk24.
“But I don’t know whether he will be selected for the upcoming [Nations Championship] Tests. Personally, I don’t think Rassie will bring him into the fold now just because he’s playing good rugby,”
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Mokuena believes Rudolph faces a similar challenge to other talented loose forwards, including Evan Roos, Vincent Tshituka and Hacjivah Dayimani.
“They are all players who are good enough for the Springboks, but unfortunately the competition among the loose forwards is incredibly tough.
“Then Kwagga [Smith] still has to make his return [from injury], and there is André Esterhuizen, who can be used at centre or flank.”
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Mokuena’s admiration for Rudolph extends beyond his performances on the field.
“One of the things about Jeandré that still stands out to me after all these years is that he is someone who likes proving people wrong,” he said. “I think it is difficult to stop someone with that kind of mindset.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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Jonathan Mokuena believes Bulls loose forward Jeandré Rudolph has what it takes to play for the Springboks, but is unsure whether that’ll happen under Rassie Erasmus.
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