Africa-Press – South-Africa. Elton Jantjies has not been South Africa’s first-choice flyhalf for years, but his role as back-up to Handre Pollard has been a crucial part of the Springbok machine under Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber.
Now, dropped from the side following a highly-publicised alleged affair with team dietician Zeenat Simjee, Jantjies’ international future is drowning in uncertainty.
Jantjies is 32 and has 45 Tests to his name, but developments over the last few days have left many wondering if he will ever wear the green and gold again.
If he doesn’t, then it opens the door for another specialist flyhalf to enter the Springbok fray.
Pollard is currently injured and Damian Willemse is being backed at No 10 in the Rugby Championship, but the back-up is incredibly thin heading into Saturday’s clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Willemse showed against the Wallabies in Sydney that he has the ingredients to be an international playmaker, but the Springbok management will still be looking for another option as preparations for the World Cup in France next year continue.
So, who is next in line after Jantjies?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Johan Goosen
The 30-year-old Bulls playmaker is actually in the Rugby Championship squad, but he has not fully completed his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury. A player incredibly highly rated by Bok management, Goosen’s international career has been stop-start in nature. A return to action is understood to be right around the corner, and while he will almost certainly not feature for the Boks in the Rugby Championship, Goosen will be eyeing a strong showing for the Bulls and potentially a spot in the end-of-year touring party.
Manie Libbok
His name keeps coming up when talking Bok flyhalf options, and why not? Libbok did, after all, guide the Stormers to a maiden URC championship last season and was one of the form flyhalves in the competition. He doesn’t fit the traditional Bok stereotype of what a No 10 should be, but neither did Jantjies really. Inconsistent goal-kicking would count against his cause, but Libbok is as exciting as anyone with ball in hand and his silky, accurate distribution is perhaps his biggest asset.
Chris Smith
It’s hard to see this one happening, but Smith had a superb URC season in 2021/22 for the Bulls. Smith is a point-scoring machine and probably the most accurate goal-kicker in this conversation, which is an area where the Boks are struggling presently. He is more than capable of launching attacks, but his boot – out of hand and off the tee – is his major weapon.
Curwin Bosch
Bosch’s defence has always been the major obstacle standing between him and more Springbok opportunities, and he seems a million miles off the national radar at the moment. He is still just 25 and has time on his side. He is likely to be given the reins in Durban in the URC this year where he will play behind a monster pack at the Sharks. If he shows the right stuff, there is no reason why he can’t force himself back into Bok reckoning.
Jordan Hendrikse
There is much hype surrounding the Lions man, and he possesses the all-round game that will draw approval from Nienaber and Erasmus. He still has a lot to prove at franchise level, but it is not far-fetched to see the Boks throwing him into the deep end on the year-end tour if he is ticking the right boxes in the URC.
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