Rudy Paige expects to see Haashim Pead in a Springbok jersey “sooner rather than later”.
The former Bok scrumhalf praised the Junior Boks No 9 following his Player of the Tournament performance at the World Rugby U20 Championship, where South Africa beat New Zealand to lift the trophy for the first time since 2012.
“When I met him, I really liked how he sees the game and his hunger to evolve as a player and go to bigger heights,” Paige told IOL.
“On the field, he ticks all the boxes. His fundamentals are really good and he has got the pace. But he also has the instincts and his feel for the game is superb.
“We must celebrate him and what he has achieved in his short career and what the team achieved. He has got a really bright future ahead of him.”
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Pead, who scored six tries and broke French superstar Antoine Dupont’s pool-stage record with 232 metres gained from just 15 carries, was invited to join the Springboks in camp alongside fellow Junior Boks Bathobele Hlekani and Cheswill Jooste.
Paige believes the experience will be invaluable.
“I always say you learn a lot through the ears and the eyes,” Paige said. “He is going to learn a lot from people like Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach – what they do day-to-day, their habits and the questions they ask in team meetings.
“We are going to see Haashim Pead in a Springbok jersey sooner rather than later. He has all the capabilities to make it.”
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
