VIDEO: Why World Cup-winning Bok missed WP cut
REACTION: World Cup-winning Springbok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies has not been axed because of poor form.
Western Province coach John Dobson said the absence of the 23-year-old from the team for their Currie Cup Round Two encounter with the Lions, in Johannesburg on Saturday, is part of a pre-planned rotation process.
Jantjies’ lack of form – throughout the Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup sections of the season – has been an explosive and ferocious debate.
However, it certainly did not cost him his pace in the team.
“We have three really similar scrumhalves – in terms of our game model – in Herschel [Jantjies], Godlen [Masimla] and Paul [de Wet],” Dobson told a virtual media briefing on Wednesday.
“I am acutely aware we haven’t been giving enough rugby to the latter two.”
He said the decision to play Masimla (as a started) and De Wet (off the bench) was “pre-planned, two weeks ago”.
“Paul [de Wet] and Herschel [Jantjies] will play next week [in a Round Three match against the Pumas at Newlands].
“This rotation was result agnostic.
“We couldn’t go back on it just because we didn’t get the result we wanted against the Bulls [last week]”
Dobson also spoke about the decision to move Damian Willemse to fullback in place of the injured Warrick Gelant, with Tim Swiel starting at flyhalf where he will form an all-new halfback combination with Masimla.
The Province coach added that the starting halfback combination of Swiel and Masimla are familiar with each other – having played together for about two-and-a-half seasons earlier in their careers, in the Under-21 and domestic cup competitions – and said the ‘rotation’ policy will not harm the team.
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“Warrick [Gelant] won’t be back for a long time [six to nine months], so Tim [Swiel] has an opportunity to have a run at No.10 for a while.”
He added that he also needs to give his back-up scrumhalves a good run, should Jantjies suffer a serious injury somewhere down the line.
“The injury to Warrick [Gelant] is a blow to us,”Dobson said, adding: “He will be sidelined for about six months – maybe a big longer, but hopefully only six months.
“The next fullback in the group is Tristan Leyds. [However,] he is still in a development phase.
“Damian [Willemse] has played Test rugby at No.15. It [fullback] is not new for him.
“Tim Swiel has done really well when he has come on for us this season.
“He is a really good game manager.
“Ruhan Nel has been our top No.13 and coming back from a long-term injury. He came off the bench [last week in the loss to the Bulls] and this week he starts.
“Dan du Plessis and Rikus Pretorius took knocks [in the 20-22 loss to the Bulls] last week.
“Rikus is the more bruised of the two and we will rotate those guys over the next two weeks.
“Dan moves to No.12. He did a good job at No.13, but he really is a natural No.12.”
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