‘Elton fully deserves this accolade’

People outside the team don’t realise how much work Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies has put in to make him the player he is, former
Lions midfielder Alwyn Hollenbach believes.

Jantjies on Tuesday was named by Sanzaar as the SA Super Rugby Player-of-the-Decade, and Hollenbach believed he was a worthy recipient.

“People out there can say what they like, but Elton is fully deserving of this accolade,” Hollenbach said.

“It couldn’t happen to a better player and person.”

As the governing body for rugby in the Southern Hemisphere noted, Jantjies’ numbers over the past ten years are undeniably special.

“(He) 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,” it said in elaborating on their decision to bestow the honour on him.

“He is the Player-of-the-Decade.”

Hollenbach remembers how Jantjies laudably took responsibility for his conditioning after a few early hiccups.

“I remember years ago when Elton first started out at the Lions, in around 2010, and he was a bit overweight, but he didn’t allow that to get him down.

“From there he just went from strength to strength and he is never satisfied with the level he is at. He keeps putting more hours
in to make him a better player and defender, and his preparation ahead of a game is at another level.”

Hollenbach played next to Jantjies when the Lions won the Currie Cup back in 2011.

Though the former South African Schools star was the
more senior player at the time, Jantjies was never shy to take the lead.

“Back then he was always willing to learn and take in the advice from the more senior players, but then he would take that and make his own decisions in the best interest of the team.”

Hollenbach also had fond memories of playing under former Lions coaches Johan Ackermann and Swys de Bruin.

“I remember working with Ackers since around 2010 when he was still the forward coach and with Swys for about three years from 2013,” said Hollenbach, who was forced to retire in 2016 due to knee injuries.

“I believe those difficult years laid the foundation for the glory years between 2016 and 2018.”

After being involved with coaching at Roodepoort Rugby Club for three years, Hollenbach had since directed his focus towards his personal life and his family.

He’s established his own estate agency on the West Rand and remains part of the game at youth level, where he is involved in training programmes for kids between eight and 18.