Influential flyhalf Elton Jantjies will miss Saturday’s Super Rugby clash with the Stormers as he was axed for disciplinary reasons and not because he was ill as the club first suggested, Lions coach Swys de Bruin said.
“It was big decision to make but it was a team protocol matter,” admitted De Bruin.
When the team was named on Thursday, the 28-year-old pivot was said to be omitted because of illness.
But De Bruin conceded later at news conference: “It’s a private matter and something that happened within the team and it’s not the first time it happened, but I prefer not to go into detail.
“It’s not a about the individual. It’s about following the protocol.”
South African newspapers on Friday speculated Jantjies had overruled his coach and captain, Kwagga Smith, and kicked for touch rather than taken a penalty as ordered in the Lions’ 27-17 loss to the Sharks last Saturday.
#LIOvSTO| @M_marxi2 returns to captain the @emirates Lions when they host the DHL Stormers at Emirates Airline Park on Sat. #LionsPride pic.twitter.com/PShnqqqa3j
— Emirates Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) May 30, 2019
Jantjies, who is expected to be in South Africa’s squad for the World Cup in Japan later this year, is also said to have left the team hotel after a performance in which two of his passes were picked off by the Sharks for match-winning intercept tries.
The Lions’ problems are further compounded by confirmation that captain Warren Whiteley has yet to recover from a knee injury and is unlikely to feature in the team's remaining regular season matches.
The Lions host the Wellington Hurricanes on June 8 and finish the season away at the Bulls on June 15.
The Lions and the Stormers are chasing a place in the post-season playoffs with Saturday’s game vital to both their chances.
The Lions, runners up in the last three Super Rugby editions, have not won any of their four games against South African opposition this season.
Reuters