Herschel Jantjies of the Stormers during the Vodacom Super Rugby 2020 Season Launch at SuperSport Studios on November 28, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)
Given the indelible mark he’s left on South African rugby in 2019, it’s understandable that some supporters and observers are fearful Herschel Jantjies could fall victim to dreaded “second-season syndrome”.
The 23-year-old Springbok and Stormers scrumhalf, who scored four tries in his first four Tests, himself has calmly tried to quell those fears.
“I’m really not worried about it,” was his pithy answer when asked about the issue at this week’s Super Rugby launch.
The cynics among us will argue words tend to be empty.
Yet one seemingly innocuous act, pleasingly, suggests that Jantjies is far more serious about maintaining his standards than just paying lip service: he turned down an invitation to play for Eddie Jones’ Barbarians.
“To honest, making sure I keep my form is the main reason why I turned down that invite,” he said.
“I would’ve come back from overseas and stepped right into the Stormers’ pre-season preparations without having a break. I don’t think I would have had enough rest. I have a few more days and hopefully I’ll be okay.”
Jantjies, a refreshingly straight talker, also isn’t oblivious to the sheer mental challenge of buckling down and focusing on 2020 after the euphoria of winning this year’s World Cup.
Herschel Jantjies of South Africa celebrates with his winners medal after the Rugby World Cup 2019 Final between England and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on November 2, 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images )
“It still feels a bit surreal, particularly the trophy tour. There aren’t many players who could say they played in a World Cup, let alone win it. It was special, I’ll always treasure it.
“I couldn’t believe the number of people who turned up on a weekday. People were running with the bus. In Cape Town, I even saw a guy in a wheelchair following the bus for a while,” he said.
“I don’t think that feeling will disappear until Super Rugby starts again to be honest. I think the first two days of training might be tough, but it shouldn’t be difficult to get back into the thick of things.
“I’ve just told myself that I just need to maintain my standards. If I just stay consistent, I’ll definitely stay in the Springbok mix.”
For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
