The heartache of missing out on the 2023 Springbok World Cup selection has fuelled a burning desire to make the cut for the 2027 edition of the global showpiece in Australia, scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies says.
The 30-year-old gave notice that he will be a strong contender for the No 9 jersey when he came off the bench to score a try in the Boks’ 43-0 victory over Wales last week.
It was his first Test appearance in the green and gold for almost three years, and it has whet Jantjies’ appetite for more Test match action.
After playing in SA’s 2019 World Cup-winning campaign in Japan, Jantjies missed out on selection for France four years later.
“It was unbelievably heartbreaking [missing out on the 2023 tournament],” Jantjies said.
“I can still remember the evening the squad was announced.
“Where we sat, how we sat and how coach Rassie Erasmus put everything on the board.
“Coach Rassie did come to me that evening after the squad announcement, and he told me it was not the end of the world not to make the World Cup squad.
“But later on, as time went by, I started realising what he told me and I think he basically meant to just work harder on my game to bring myself to the party.
“And then I would get my chance again.”
Jantjies said the quality of the players available for the Bok squad would make it tough to nail down a regular berth.
“Grant Williams is playing amazing rugby, and he could cover wing as well,” he said.
“The same could be said of Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse, who are also in the mix.
“Yes, it was heartbreaking for me to miss out on the World Cup squad, but I think I allowed myself to grieve a little over it.
“But I didn’t get stuck in that space for too long.”
Jantjies said because of the depth Erasmus was building, competition to wear the green and gold had become tougher.
“It’s incredible, and it is not just at scrumhalf, but every position,” he said.
Next up for the Boks is a tough away game against Argentina in Buenos Aires on August 8.
“Argentina is going to be tough,” Erasmus said.
“Like Wales, they’ve had our number a few times, and our biggest loss was to them since we’ve been together from 2018.
“We are just trying to build our game, and the showing against Wales was another step forward.
“We’ve got a little bit better in every game of the Nations Championship, but as we’ve been rotating, it does take cohesion away.
“It’s difficult to say how much we learnt against Wales, but it’s a Test match, and a lot of guys came through it with tick marks.
“In this game we learnt that our defence was better than last week — we worked really hard on that — and our set-piece was really solid, but then we also had a lot of handling errors.”
Erasmus said a squad of 26 would be sent to South America, while a group of 15 or 16 players would remain behind with some coaches to prepare for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand in August and September.
The Herald
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