Henco van Wyk talks to us about his iconic "scrumcap magic" and why a Lions win this weekend might just require a little bit of dark Necronomicon energy to hit the Top 3. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
When Bruce Banner gets angry, he Hulks out; Wolverine goes berserker; and Darth Vader rampages through a corridor, using the Force without prejudice to dominate his enemies. For Henco van Wyk, a Lions fan might chuckle flippantly while snapping their fingers at the TV —Leonardo DiCaprio style — when "it" finally happens: he removes his scrumcap.
It is usually around that time that the 24-year-old seemingly indicates it’s time to get serious about this rugby-playing business; that he and his Lions teammates are about to take the intensity up a notch. It has become a mini-game for those who have noticed the idiosyncrasy — will it come off at half-time, or with 30, 20, or 10 minutes to go?
Rather amusingly, the later the scrumcap gets whipped off, the better things seem to be going for the Joburgers. It's almost like a a modern day Mr Miyagi but with scrumcap on, scrumcap off vibes.
For the Lions' Henco van Wyk, the real damage starts when the scrumcap comes off. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
On Thursday, at Johannesburg Stadium, the small scrum of media shared a moment of levity regarding the headgear and its implied (if not entirely scientific) impact on Van Wyk’s game with the Lions centre.
“It comes off when I’m tired” Van Wyk said with a hearty laugh — the type that implies his teammates have been ragging on him about it, too.
“I’ve been playing with a scrumcap since Under-15s. I had a few concussions in high school. I don’t know if the research says it works, but it’s a mental thing for me now — it gives me that extra confidence when going into contact."
He added with a grin: "And it can get quite hot at 2pm in Joburg.”
The next display of "scrumcap magic" is set for Saturday at Ellis Park against the Dragons (kick-off 4.30pm), with Van Wyk looking to continue his recent impressive run of form.
The Lions are currently seventh in the United Rugby Championship, and a full haul of points — provided other results go their way — could see them jump to third. That would require Ulster to lose to Zebre, Leinster to capitulate to Scarlets, and Cardiff and Munster to lose to the Sharks and Bulls, respectively.
If all that actually happens, it might involve something akin to reading the incantations of the Necromonicon.