After today’s announcement of the Bok squad to take on France, it appears that South Africa coach Allister Coetzee has placed ALL his flyhalf eggs in the Elton Jantjies basket.
Jantjies is the ONLY established No.10 in the squad. Frans Steyn can provide cover at a pinch, but most of his experience at that position came in the 2014 Super Rugby season when he stood in for the injured Patrick Lambie. Dillyn Leyds played 10 in the Stormers’ most recent Super Rugby game at the Blues, but his position is more likely to be at full back.
It is a somewhat surprising decision, given that Jantjies’ performances with Coetzee at the helm have been mediocre to put it mildly, both in his brief stint with the Stormers and last year with the Boks.
To be fair to AC, one could argue that his hands are tied, with Lambie out due to concussion and Handre Pollard injured. Kings flyhalf Lionel Cronje has been named in the A-squad.
Will Jantjies be AC’s saviour against the French? Or will Les Bleus upset the Boks? We think they stand a more than decent chance, especially given the poor rugby South Africa played in 2016.