It can be easy to forget that the Emirates Lions’ Henco van Wyk is so young, that the chances are - if you bump into him on the streets of Johannesburg - he will greet you respectfully as Oom or Tannie.
The 21-year-old has certainly enjoyed something of a meteoric rise in his first full season as a professional rugby player, and has fulfilled the early promise that he is a prodigious talent that will one day become a Springbok.
Indeed, Van Wyk is recently returned from a first step towards wearing the full green and gold colours after playing for SA A against Munster and Bristol Bears this past month. That experience, the outside-centre admitted to Independent Media on Tuesday, will be invaluable going forward.
“It was a massive honour to represent the country with that badge on my chest,” Van Wyk said proudly. “No money can buy that ... It is another step towards the real jersey.
“The experience you build up there playing alongside Test players – in the one match we had 14 Springboks – and what you learn from them, is cool stuff. From the opposition you learn stuff that might work for you back home.
“So, ja, it wasn’t a very successful tour winning-wise (SA A lost both matches) but I will definitely say I came back a better rugby player. I learnt a lot while I was there from the coaching staff and that is a win for me.”
Despite entering the consciousness of the SA rugby-loving public, and recent successes, Van Wyk remains firmly rooted in the now, and is not looking beyond this moment with the Lions to greater things.
“I am not putting a timeframe on it,” the 21-year-old said regarding becoming a fully-fledged Bok. "I am just taking it game for game.
“I want to be better than the previous day and if I can improve in each game, then my chances will increase wearing the Springbok jersey … If you get better every day, then you certainly will raise our hand and be noticed.”
Moving to the United Rugby Championship – which resumes this weekend for the Lions when they host Welsh-outfit Dragons, Van Wyk and Co have one crucial bugbear that must be accounted for.
The Joburers are yet to win a match at Emirates Airline Park this season after three losses on their turf. It is a record that will no doubt be quite irritating for a team that has top 8 ambitions in the URC.
As revealed by Van Wyk, the team are working hard to get out of that particular funk.
"We had a good (European) tour and when we came back we had two unfortunate losses at home.
“We mustn’t fall into that mindset that we don’t do well at home. I think it was just a moment or two in those home games that cost us. We definitely want to rectify that this coming weekend.
“(Dragons) have a big pack," Van Wyk continued, now looking ahead towards their opposition on Sunday, "and they are a very physical team.
"We want to exploit them in the wider channels. We have to win the kick battle as well, while we try to move that big pack around.”
It seems then, that with Van Wyk in the midfield, Lions’ supporters can look forward to a bruising battle full of running. The match kicks off at 4pm.
@FreemanZAR