Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

'Put some respect on the name' - Jantjies emerges as unlikely Bok hero

By Sam Smith
Elton Jantjies of the Springboks and Herschel Jantjies (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Oft maligned backup flyhalf Elton Jantjies has emerged the unlikely hero as the Springboks exacted revenge on the All Blacks with a penalty kick two minutes after full-time securing an incredible 31-29 victory in the final round of the Rugby Championship.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jantjies had just minutes earlier kicked a clutch 77th-minute drop goal to edge South Africa back ahead, a 40-metre effort that just happened to be his first drop goal in international rugby.

Moments later New Zealand would claw back the lead via the boot of Jordie Barrett. All looked lost for the Springboks as it appeared that the world champions were headed for their fourth successive loss after the 78th minute penalty put the All Blacks in front.

Video Spacer

The Journeyman Ollie Phillips on Lomu, Madonna & The Moulin Rouge | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 3

Video Spacer

The Journeyman Ollie Phillips on Lomu, Madonna & The Moulin Rouge | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 3

In their first clash in Townsville last Saturday, fullback Barrett stepped up to seal a 19-17 win in the same thrilling fashion. This week South Africa won a penalty in extra time but rather than veteran Francois Steyn attempting a long-range penalty he booted it downfield.

The Boks managed to secure the match-winning penalty, with Jantjies stepping up to nail the memorable win. It denied New Zealand a clean sweep of the Rugby Championship.

 

The All Blacks scored three tries in the first stanza to steam to a 20-14 halftime lead with a sensational five-pointer by captain Ardie Savea the stand-out.

Five-eighth Beauden Barrett made the break before off-loading to Rieko Ioane, who trampled over hapless Boks fullback Willie le Roux before offloading to Savea to swan-dive across the line.

ADVERTISEMENT

Halfback Brad Weber, in just his third start, snaffled a try after a line-out turnover while winger Sevu Reece also scored thanks to a le Roux spill off a restart and Beauden Barrett kick to the flanks.

South Africa also had their moments of brilliance with centre Lukhanyo Am slipping a pass behind his back to winger S’busiso Nkosi who found a charging Damian de Allende for a fifth-minute try.

The Springboks rang the changes early and it proved a decisive move with their replacements stopping the All Blacks in their tracks.

After two penalty strikes, they hit the lead 22-20 in the 51st minute when Steyn kicked a 50:22 and from the lineout, South Africa sent the ball wide for Makazole Mapimpi to score in the corner.

ADVERTISEMENT

Handre Pollard again missed the conversion before a Jantjies penalty took over the kicking duties to extend the lead to five points. That was the sole try of the second half with defence from both teams brutal, with penalties, as well as a 76th-minute drop goal by Jantjies keeping the scoreboard ticking over. The lead changed four times in the last five minutes but it was South Africa in front when it counted.

Jantjies, who has had a love-hate relationship with the Springboks’ fanbase since he first laced up his boots in the green and gold in 2012, is now being lauded online.

South African journalist Mark Keohane wrote on his website: “This is an Elton Jantjies who has been given very little game time this Rugby Championship, and this year as a whole. This is an Elton Jantjies who has consistently been lambasted for a lack of BMT [Big Match Temperament]. This is an Elton Jantjies who has been criticized even after playing well. This is an Elton Jantjies who off the back of a monumental Springbok effort, guided his team to victory over an All Black side unbeaten in ten games. And this is all that matters in the moment.”

Twitter was also gushing over Jantijies.

“Time to put some MORE respect on Elton Jantjies’ name’ Tweeted well-known South African fan account Jared Wright.

“Can we all agree that Elton Jantjies was on fire today?” wrote another.

It appears that Jantjies may have just come full circle with the South African rugby fanbase.

– Additional reporting AAP

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

21 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

21 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Why the All Blacks are serious about giving Sam Whitelock one last hurrah Why the All Blacks are serious about giving Sam Whitelock one last hurrah
Search