DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 15: Jaden Hendrikse of the Hollywoodbets Sharks during the Hollywoodbets Sharks training session at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium on October 15, 2025 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)
Sharks head coach John Plumtree said he is aware of the criticism Jaden Hendrikse has faced lately, and put his performances down to indecision about his playmaking and team duties.
Hendrikse has long been a promising scrumhalf, following up his U20 stardom with a Sharks contract and two Springbok Tests in the very next year (2021).
He picked up several Test caps each year since then, including in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but has not played any internationals this year, appearing to fall out of favour with Rassie Erasmus.
It followed a largely quiet United Rugby Championship for the Sharks player last year, where Grant Williams impressed at No 9 whenever fit, while Hendrikse looked sluggish in his delivery and struggled with his goal-kicking.
Hendrikse started at flyhalf for the first time in his professional career during their opening URC match against Glasgow in September, due to team injuries, but looked out of sorts. He reverted to scrumhalf in the games against Dragons and Leinster but wasn’t up to scratch either.
He came off for Ross Braude in the second half against Leinster, who served the ball faster than Hendrikse, though one pass found opposition hands.
Hendrikse will start on the bench, with Grant Williams taking the No 9 jersey for Saturday’s clash against Ulster (kick-off 4pm).
‘Sometimes the team just needs to be served’
“I think the challenge for Jaden is he’s such a clever rugby player that he wants to be a playmaker, and he really is a good playmaker,” Plumtree said.
“But a scrumhalf has to serve the team and when we want quick ball that is the time for us to play. If it’s slower then he might look at play-making around the fringes of his rucks, or whatever.
“I love him to bits around the fact that he has a real mindset around wanting to create, but sometimes the team just needs to be served.”
The Sharks coach said All Blacks legend Aaron Smith and France star Antoine Dupont demonstrate this in how the former served his team well in snappy passes, while the latter utilised his strength in creating opportunities around the rucks.
Jaden Hendrikse needs to find the best of both worlds
“Jaden’s challenge is to get good at both – as a decision maker around when to play, when to pass, when to kick.”
Plumtree said the Sharks sometimes slow their own ball down due to the area of the field they are playing in
“That is also a decision he has to make. I know he comes under a fair bit of criticism but I still see him as a quality, quality player with slightly different attributes to a Grant Williams, who is obviously a way more dynamic athlete from a speed perspective. But they all serve the team differently.”
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