Ntokozo Makhaza's rags-to-riches progression from ‘nobody' to Springbok alignment camp
Mike Greenaway | Published 7 hours ago
Ikeys coach and former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck had the pleasure of telling Ntokozo Makhaza that Rassie Erasmus was making enquires about him, but the young wing thought Fleck was winding him up.
'Rassie called me and asked me questions about 'Makky'. He wanted his number,' Fleck told Independent Media .
'When I told Makky that the Springbok coach would call him, he thought I was joking.
'I had to convince him he was getting a call, and to relax and enjoy the experience.'
Makhaza is the bolter who was called up to the Springbok alignment camp, which was held in Cape Town this week.
The 23-year-old is a third-year social science student at the University of Cape Town, specialising in psychology.
Last month, Fleck's Ikeys side won the Varsity Cup, and Makhaza was the Player of the Tournament, as he was last year too.
Erasmus has been watching, and was so impressed with the wing's performance statistics – yes, Big Brother Rassie watches everything – that he called up Fleck to find out more.
'I was surprised when Rassie called in the sense that it is not often a player gets called up straight out of the varsity system,' Fleck said.
'Rassie wanted to know about the person: who the guy is, is he hard-working and coachable? Those are the first questions Rassie asked me,' the former Stormers coach said.
'I said '100 percent' to all of Rassie's questions.
'Mak is a very humble, hard-working, and a true gentleman. He has an incredible work ethic on and off the field.'
Makhaza's Northwood High School coach, Grant Bashford, echoed Fleck's sentiments.
'What a lovely kid. He is one of the nicest kids you could ever meet,' Bashford, who assisted John Plumtree in his first coaching tenure at the Sharks, told Independent Media .
'One of the Sharks' scouts discovered this nippy little player down the KZN South Coast, and got him to Northlands Primary (the school is about 2km from Kings Park),' Bashford explained.
'He came to us at Northwood in Grade Eight.
'He was small, but explosive… a Cheslin Kolbe-type kid, with a huge work ethic,' Bashford recalls.
'He was always polite and humble. When the others were messing around, he was the last one kicking balls. He would be the first one in the gym.'
Bashford recalls a brilliant performance by Makhaza in a historic win for Northwood, one of the smaller of the tier-one rugby schools in KZN.
'In 2019, for the first time ever, we beat Maritzburg College at Goldstones (their home ground). Our regular flyhalf had been off with his kicking. Mak took the ball and kicked it from everywhere.'
Bashford thought Makhaza might go the sevens route.
'I thought his pathway might be to the Blitzboks. But times have changed, and I think Cheslin Kolbe has done so much for getting smaller guys recognised.
'In previous Springbok eras, small guys were overlooked. Cheslin has given the small X-factor guys hope that they can make it.
'Makky played KZN Schools at Craven Week from Northwood. I remember he was so focused in his matric year in going to university in Cape Town to further his education.'
Fleck says Makhaza's goal-kicking for the UCT Ikeys has been phenomenal.
'He kicks at 85 percent in howling south-easters, and hits 95 percent on the highveld.
'I told Rassie that Mak has a few shortcomings, but Rassie said that is what his coaching staff is for,' Fleck continued.
'Rassie likes guys with a work ethic that he knows he can improve, especially with a guy like Tony Brown coaching the backs.
'Rassie can take an 80-percenter and turn him into a 100-percenter. He likes players that are prepared to go the extra mile.'
Erasmus prefers hard-working wingers who chase, work back, and create opportunities.
Fleck adds that Makhaza was almost lost to mainstream rugby, although he has now signed for the Cheetahs for the Currie Cup.
'Credit to him, he was Player of the Tournament last year, but had no provincial offers. He was thinking about sevens, but we said, 'Give it one more year'.
'He had another cracker year, and look at him now.'
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