Grant Williams has replaced injured fellow Sharks scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse in the Springboks’ Rugby Championship squad, South Africa Rugby announced on Monday.

Hendrikse suffered a fractured leg soon after coming off the bench in a 29-10 victory over Argentina in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) last Saturday.

Williams is the third scrum-half from the Durban-based Sharks to be called up by the Springboks this year with Sanele Nohamba part of the initial squad before being released when it was trimmed.

“It is sad to lose a player like Jaden, who was really beginning to find his feet in the system and starting to make his mark in Test rugby,” said coach Jacques Nienaber.

South Africa have been hit hard by injuries to scrum-halves with normal first and second choices Faf de Klerk (leg) and Herschel Jantjies (hip) unavailable last weekend.

Cobus Reinach made his third consecutive start last Saturday.