VIDEO: Revealed - Elton Jantjies' spot in the Bok pecking order
NEWS: Elton Jantjies is back in the Springbok fold but this time round he is the number four choice and will only get a starting berth should Damian Willemse fail to prove his fitness for the Test against Australia next week.
The Springbok coaching staff faced a hail of questions from the media this week around Jantjies, but were resilient in their reasoning for recalling the exiled Bok flyhalf.
“How great is it to have the ability to fall back on an experienced guy like Elton. He is close to 50 Test matches and he has been in our environment. So it’s nice to get him in the mix for the two injured guys but in a week or two we can have all four flyhalves," Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber explained.
“Elton was probably our fourth choice flyhalf and again, how lucky are we to have a guy of his standing as a fourth choice available.”
South African Director of Rugby Johan Erasmus added that the acquisition of Jantjies relieves the pressure on Willemse and Handre Pollard to recover quicker.
“There is no pressure on Handre to rush that injury, no pressure on Damian. That will be very important for us heading out of the Rugby Championship going into the World Cup.
“With not having a fourth flyhalf here it’s like, ‘when are you going to be ready’? Now it’s ‘take your time, heal that thing properly’. And just to update, there is a very good chance that Damian will be cleared next week.
“Which is great, but if we didn’t have somebody we would’ve been in a position where we almost forced him. And this gives us an opportunity to settle slowly and be hundred percent ready when selected,” Erasmus said.
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He added that there isn’t much that Jantjies needs to learn. “Here is a guy with close to 50 Test matches, who was Super Rugby Player of the Decade in terms of his stats, and who won the game for us against the All Blacks just the other day and started against Australia last year.
“When it comes to his contribution to younger players in the squad, on the field he shows them the running lines and his kicking technique. There is a lot we can say, but yes, he definitely deserves a chance.”
A buff and fit-looking Jantjies spoke to Rugby365 in the hotel in Pretoria where the Springbok team is based and it was clear that he has put the past behind him.
"It was good to have time away from the team. I think it is the best thing that could've happened to me. I am in a good place in my life and have been enjoying my rugby overseas.
"But it is great to be back with the Boks. I love working with the younger guys. Maybe, hopefully, I might play. We will see how Damian is recovering."
There is no denying Jantjies’ heroics on the field and people tend to remember his antics off the pitch more.
Here is a reminder of the great player that is Elton Jantjies.
In 2019 he helped the Springboks to victory over the All Blacks.
In 2020 he was named Super Rugby Player of the Decade by SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby).
Sanzaar used data to pick its South African Super Rugby XV of the last decade.
"Flyhalf Elton Jantjies puts up some super impressive figures: he scored the second most points (1,145) of any player in the last 10 years, also made the third-most try assists (59) of any player while gaining the most metres (2 902) and making the most clean breaks (50) of any South African No. 10s. He is the Player of the Decade.”
Jantjies, since his Super Rugby debut in 2011 and his Test debut in 2012, has been a divisive figure among South African rugby supporters but give him his due.
During his time at the Lions he acted as a mentor for young flyhalves like Gianni Lombard, who spent every possible minute on the training field with Jantjies.