Jantjies a 'great footballer'
Elton Jantjies sent a strong message to the Springbok selectors when he produced a sublime allround performance for the Golden Lions at the weekend.
The Lions clinched a 26-23 victory over Western Province at the death, thanks to the trusty boot of the discarded Bok flyhalf, Jantjies.
Jantjies succeeded with seven penalties, contributing 21 points to his side's score and assisting the title holders to their second victory of the Currie Cup campaign.
"He [Jantjies] is a great attacking player," Lions coach Johan Ackermann said, adding: "His general play was also very good.
"He showed just how good he is after being out of action for a few weeks.
"To come back in that form was good. He's a great footballer.
"He is brilliant on the attack and while he can still work on his defence, he made very few mistakes. The exception was when he allowed a high ball to bounce."
With pressure mounting on Bok coach Heyneke Meyer to try a new halfback combination, or at least a new flyhalf to help get the backline into shape, Jantjies made sure they remember that he is still around.
He helped secure a deserved victory for the defending champions in an exciting and fast-moving match, after WP started off at a tremendous pace.
Only outstanding Lions defence against a Province side that had a surfeit of possession in the early stages and looked very threatening, kept the scoreline down to 10-0 after 12 minutes.
Then the Lions came into the game with some effective and at times spectacular running.
Jantjies had brought the home side closer with a well-struck penalty to make it 10-3 after 14 minutes and a brilliant team try after good phase play and switches in attack was rounded off by Josh Strauss after 27 minutes. Jantjies slipped as he kicked for his only miss from eight attempts and WP remained in the lead at 10-8.
With the Lions having the best of the scrums and also winning a line-out against the throw after conceding one in their unsettled first few minutes, the home side looked the part and played most of the effective rugby.
From a rare breakaway from their own 22 by Province in this period they were penalised. Jantjies took the Lions to the front for the first time after 37 minutes with a 49-metre penalty.
The teams went into halftime at 11-10 to the Lions and the lead was increased shortly after the restart when Province were penalised under their posts following another good build-up by the Lions. Jantjies converted the easy penalty (14-10).
The visitors then had a few tremendous attacking spurts with good cover defence keeping them at bay. A WP line-out drive brought a penalty from near the posts after advantage had been played, and Catrakilis deservedly pulled back three points for Province when he converted after 54 minutes (14-13 to the Lions).
Attacking sorties by the Lions with Jantjies, Andries Coetzee, Anthony Volmink notably prominent threatened the scoreboard but it took a penalty by Jantjies after 64 minutes to restore the four-point margin (17-13). Two minutes later Jantjies repeated the dose from 46 metres (20-13).
Then followed by a very important line-out steal as WP opted for a corner kick with a penalty and Franco van der Merwe winning their throw five metres from his own line.
With Province now chasing the game Catrakilis slotted a penalty as the tension mounted to bring the scoreline to 20-16 for the Lions and nine minutes remaining, only for Jantjies to re-establish the seven-point margin with six minutes left (23-16).
Western Province then played some irresistible driving rugby in the next four minutes with the one penalty advantage after the other being awarded for Lions defensive infringements. CJ van der Linde was yellow-carded with three minutes remaining and WP prop Brok Harris duly drove over next to the posts for the easiest of conversions for Catrakilis to make it 23-all.
And then came that last-minute Jantjies penalty.
