It has been a good past fortnight for Elton Jantjies. On Saturday he must turn the good into Springbok gold.
The gods of life and rugby have smiled on Jantjies. Now he must return the favour.
Jantjies in the past month was in the news for all the wrong reasons. He was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport for his behaviour on an international flight back to SA and charged with malicious damage to property and contravention of the Aviation Act.
The criminal charges were withdrawn and an out-of-court settlement was reached in which Jantjies would pay for the damages.
It was a relieved Jantjies who continued training with the Springboks, and earlier this week life got even better for him when he was named to start at flyhalf in the Springboks’ Test series opener against Wales at Loftus Versfeld.
Handré Pollard, who sits atop the Springboks flyhalf pecking order, only arrived in SA this week after playing for Montpellier in the Top 14 final. Pollard, who kicked a penalty in Montpellier’s win, played only the final few minutes.
Pollard was available for selection but Bok coach Jacques Nienaber opted for the continuity of Jantjies, who has been training with the national squad for the past month.
Pollard, when he confirmed his move from Montpellier to Leicester, only started in five of his 11 Top 14 matches, including playing off the bench in the semifinal and final. He averaged just 39 minutes a match in game time and would play in just 11 of a possible 28 matches for Montpellier.
Pollard, through international commitments, injury and rehabilitation, played only 25% of matches at Montpellier since signing at the end of 2019.
He certainly won’t be suffering from fatigue and is likely to start the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein.
It is going to be a big ask for Jantjies because he has not played a match this season and has played just three matches, when on loan to French club Pau, since the Springboks 2021 end of season tour.
For now, the focus is on Jantjies, who gets another opportunity to convince his doubters that he can own the Bok No.10 jersey if required in the bigger World Cup matches in 2023.
Pollard and Jantjies have consistently been the two No.10 choices for the Boks in recent years, but while few ever doubt Pollard, the same cannot be said of Jantjies.
There have been some very good moments for Jantjies, with his three-Test series performance against France in 2017 the highlight.
There have been some wonderful cameos and the memorable last-minute conversion in the Springboks win against the All Blacks in Australia in 2021.
In between, there has been too much inconsistency, fallibility and missed pressure kicks.
National director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus refused to buckle to public opinion and axe Jantjies, despite a horror show in the third and final Test against England in 2018.
Erasmus believed in Jantjies back then and he still believes in him. So too Nienaber, who was Erasmus’s second in command in 2018 and 2019.
Jantjies made his Springbok debut against the Barbarians at Twickenham in 2010 and his Test debut against Australia in 2012, and he has played 42 Tests in the past decade, scoring 312 points.
That’s an average of four Tests a year, which doesn’t inspire confidence.
Pollard being in the set-up has contributed to the lack of Test matches for Jantjies but the latter’s detractors would argue that Jantjies has never been good enough to force a positional switch in Pollard from 10 to 12 and that the player has never transferred his provincial and regional performances into the Test arena.
Those who favour Jantjies have always rejected the public condemnation of a player, who turns 32 in August.
Erasmus has been primary to the believers. He was confident in picking Jantjies for the 2019 World Cup squad and equally comfortable in giving him the responsibility of starting against Wales.
It is going to be a big ask for Jantjies because he has not played a match this season and has played just three matches, when on loan to French club Pau, since the Springboks 2021 end of season tour.
If you believe that good things come in threes, then Loftus will be the place when Jantjies delivers a flyhalf masterclass for the Boks.
Mark Keohane is the founder of keo.co.za, a multiple award-winning sports writer and the digital content director at Highbury Media. Twitter: @mark_keohane
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