Rassie challenges Boks to think differently
JUNE SPOTLIGHT: Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies says Rassie Erasmus is quite different from the other coaches he has played under.
Erasmus has enjoyed a successful start as Bok coach securing a series victory over England with a Test to spare. For Jantjies, Erasmus has been a breath of fresh air when it comes to looking at different aspects of the game.
“What is nice to see is that we are actually finding the balance between running and passing and kicking. We have improved since 2016 and we have been working hard on it.
“But then again we got coach Rassie that came in. He is a specialist, he is something special for this group and things that you never actually knew what’s happening on the rugby field is something that he identifies from his point of view.
“Not a lot of coaches that are looking at those type of things, so he definitely improves this group a lot,” Jantjies said.
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Jantjies believes he is a different player from a few seasons ago and the increased competition for the Bok No.10 jersey has made his role clearer on the field.
“For me, it is all about running the system making sure that I make the right decisions for my team and making sure that I get the best out of our players. That is how I see the game and that is how I see it from my position.
“Obviously I am a little bit older. Back then it was all about the individual, making sure that I kick all my goals and making sure that I create a lot of tries. At this point in time, for me it is all about making sure that the system runs and making sure that we play in the right areas or whether it’s a run, pass or kick option and making sure that I actually know the guys around me and how they like to play.
“That is how I see rugby now. It is a bit different for me but obviously it is very good for South African rugby to have a few talented flyhalves coming through and they are still very young, so they can take us forward for another five or six years and that is a positive thing for South Africa,” he added.
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
