Elton Jantjies’s return to the Springbok match day squad for the first time since August last year depends on the availability of utility back Damian Willemse.
If Willemse can prove his fitness in time for the July 8 Rugby Championship opener against Australia at Loftus Versfeld, Jantjies will not make the cut.
Currently nursing a knee injury while in camp in Pretoria, South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus says of Willemse: “There is a very good chance that Damian will be cleared next week.”
News from the #Springboks camp on NZ travel plans, Elton Jantjies' role and assistance from Jaco Peyper - more here: https://t.co/CAzv4j04V7 📰#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/hEtJ26qusR
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Still, Stormers ace Manie Libbok looks likely to wear the No.10 jersey for the clash, with either Jantjies or Willemse on the bench. Libbok was the only fit flyhalf left standing in the original group, after Handre Pollard (calf) joined Willemse on the krukkelys.
That led to management calling up Jantjies, who missed last year’s end-of-year tour to the UK following an alleged affair with team dietician Zeenat Simjee.
At 32, Erasmus believes Jantjies still has a lot to offer the Springboks and says of the Japan-based pivot: “In 2020 Elton was chosen as the SA Super Rugby Player of the Decade.
“When a player [who’s in our system] plays in a foreign league like the Japanese league – where guys like Kwagga [Smith] or Pieter-Steph du Toit play – it’s easy to evaluate that player because you know him well and you look at his actions, fitness and what he is doing on the field, regardless of the level of competition.
“And that’s what we’ve done with Elton also. He was number four, but we got injuries and we don’t want Handre and Damian to rush back.”
He adds: “When you have a guy with 47 Tests... there are not a lot of things he must learn…
“I’m not sure if he is going to play against Australia, it depends on whether Damian [Willemse] recovers in time.”