'No excuses': Jantjies reflects on difficult road back to the Boks
SPOTLIGHT: Herschel Jantjies has never stopped dreaming despite a series of setbacks over the last couple of years.
The 30-year-old will wear the No.9 jersey for the Springboks in Sunday’s clash against the Wallabies in Perth, and it’s a huge opportunity to try and cement a place in the Bok squad.
After three years out of the Bok setup, coupled with a move to Bayonne in France, the former Stormer made a Test return off the bench in the 43-0 win over Wales in July.
The match against Australia will be his first Test start of the season, and he has reflected on the journey that has got him to this point.
“It’s difficult when you are in, and then you are left out,” said Jantjies.
“A player has dreams not to miss the World Cup squad, and obviously I didn’t make that 2023 squad.
“Credit to the guys that were there. They were amazing.
“I’m not making excuses, but I struggled with niggles and injuries, and I think it has prepped and shown me that just as quickly as the good times come, they can be taken away from you.
“I will always work hard, and I always had that dream that the call would come.
“The move to France has just opened my mind to learn, and I think it brought a different dynamic to my game.
“The fire is burning in me again. Not that it was dead before. I feel like a 22-23 Herschel Jantjies again that came on the scene.”
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#SPOTLIGHT: Why Wallabies should be worried about this Bok’s comments 👇#Australia #Wallabies #SouthAfrica #Springboks #AUSvRSA https://t.co/0NzoLaWz33
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Jantjies has been a keen pupil in the Bok camp this season, and Morne van den Berg’s man-of-the-match performance in the Greatest Rivalry series final against the All Blacks has given him some motivation.
“It’s incredible working with coaches like Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery, and I’ve worked with Felix [Jones] before, so it is a lot of learning from them in terms of how they see the game and how they want to play the game.
“It’s a very exciting time for me. Obviously, the opportunity is here now, and it is time for me to show what I’ve learnt.
“Being in the squad and not playing, I think I really learnt a lot from the training and sitting in the meetings and taking it in from the other scrumhalves.
“A guy like Krappie playing in the last Test against New Zealand, he had an amazing game.
“Just to see how he came in and went about his work, I would like to think that I could go on this weekend and take the opportunity in a similar fashion.
“The competition in the squad around the No.9s is amazing. We help each other where we can.”
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