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FILE | Ethan Hooker in action against Argentina
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus might offer a glimpse of his plans for the future of his center pairing when South Africa take on Italy in Turin on Saturday.
22-year-old Ethan Hooker and 23-year-old Canan Moodie could be in the starting line up as Erasmus looks to broaden his players exposure to test match conditions.
The Springboks’ focus of developing versatility paid dividends in their victory against France, when they had to play with 14 men and everybody is buying into it.
“Trying to get myself into the team whether it’s wing or center is what’s important to me doesn’t really matter and I’m just trying to better myself as a player really. I love the fact that I can play both center and wing, so sticking to that versatility and developing my game in both areas is what’s important to me,” says Hooker.
It also helps that the squad is a blend of youth and experience.
“Never get complacent just always have something on your mind that you want to work on and better yourself and almost get addicted to better yourself every day. People like Damian have helped me a lot and I can feed off their experience,” Hooker explains.
The team announcement for Italy will be on Thursday.
