Elton Jantjies with the Springbok squad during last year's Rugby Championship. Picture: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
The bad boy of South African rugby, Elton Jantjies, is back with the Springboks after getting another chance to try and force his way into the reckoning for a spot in the World Cup squad.
Injuries to Handre Pollard and Damian Willemse necessitated a call-up for a back-up flyhalf as Manie Libbok was the only fit flyhalf in the Bok squad ahead of the Rugby Championship.
ALSO READ: Golden opportunity for Bok flyhalf Libbok to prove himself ahead of the World Cup
Coach Jacques Nienaber said in a press release last week that Pollard was definitely out of the first Test against Australia in Pretoria on 8 July, while it would be touch-and-go on whether Willemse would make it.
Jantjies is thus in the squad as cover and if Willemse isn’t fit he could well be in the match 23 for the game against the Wallabies.
The Boks are, however, paying dearly for not blooding enough flyhalves, with the injury problems in the position carrying over from last season.
Injuries to Pollard as well as Jantjies’ omission from the squad due to his off field shenanigans last year left the Boks extremely thin in the position, which led to Willemse becoming the first choice flyhalf despite starting the season at fullback.
ALSO READ: Pollard at 12 for Boks?
Libbok was also finally called into the side for the end-of-year-tour after it had been repeatedly questioned over the international season why he hadn’t been brought in earlier.
At a stage last season Willie le Roux and Faf de Klerk were even being posited as possible flyhalf cover, showing how deep the Boks needed to go.
This season hasn’t even started and the national squad are in a similar position and Jantjies now gets a golden chance to prove he belongs.
The question is, is he the right man to be in the mix, or could the Boks have looked at other players?
Despite his superb form at provincial level over the years, Jantjies has never managed to fully transfer that form to the international stage.
That’s not to say he hasn’t played well at times, with his performance off the bench helping the Boks beat the All Blacks in the 2021 Rugby Championship a particular highlight.
It is now in Jantjies’ hands to make the most of this unexpected opportunity.
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