Pollard set to replace Jantjies
It takes one to know one.
We can look at all the rugby players we like and make the inevitable assumptions, but noone knows a first five-eighth quite like his opposite.
It remains to be seen who South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus eventually names at No 10 to meet New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday, although he’s given a strong indication. Elton Jantjies started against Australia last Saturday, with modest results, and it sounds as if he won’t be asked to do the same in Wellington.
‘‘This weekend we’ll probably go with Handre [Pollard] again,’’ Erasmus said yesterday.
‘‘We might give Elton the last 20 minutes or so, otherwise we’ll go to the World Cup with one flyhalf we trust.’’
Jantjies has his admirers but, from this distance, often appears erratic and prone to go missing when it matters. But why take a layman’s word for it, when you’ve got All Blacks first five-eighth Beauden Barrett.
‘‘Elton’s a very skilful player. Left-footer, varies his depth. Sometimes he’s deep, sometimes he’s flat at the line,’’ Barrett said yesterday.
And then there’s Pollard. ‘‘Handre, typically he likes to run with the ball, flat at the line. He’s quite a good ball carrier. I’m not sure who they’ll play, both are very good options.’’
Barrett, having sat out last weekend’s win over Argentina, seems certain to start at 10 for New Zealand on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Brodie Retallick’s shoulder injury means Barrett’s brother Scott is likely to start at lock.
The Springboks are better served at lock than first fiveeighth and Scott Barrett was able to shed a bit of light on the visitors’ semi-regular starting second-rowers Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert.
‘‘Eben, he’s been out for a while and I’m sure he’s looking to play some positive rugby. He’s a massive mountain of a man and he’s a big, hard South African,’’ Scott Barrett said.
‘‘Franco, he’s got a huge engine on him. A good lineout forward and he’s been a big driver for the Lions in the Super Rugby in the last three years, so a good leader there and they’re both quality players.’’
The last time these teams met, in Cape Town in October, Etzebeth started with Lood de Jager, before Mostert replaced the latter for the last 25 minutes. It was an extraordinary match in which the All Blacks were pushed to their absolute limit, eventually winning 25-24.
Beauden Barrett failed a Head Injury Assessment and sat out the team’s next test, against Australia a fortnight later, which they lost 23-18. In normal circumstances they should have beaten the Wallabies, but Cape Town took too much out of them.
‘‘That was probably one of the most physical tests that I’ve been involved in,’’ Scott Barrett said.
‘‘Any game against the Springboks is going to be physical, for sure. They want to dominate you physically up front and some of the backs are big ball carriers, so we have to prepare for a huge physical battle [this week].’’
Scott Barrett was among New Zealand’s better players in last week’s 46-24 win over Argentina, which has acted as reasonable preparation for the Springboks.
‘‘Both teams, they’re pretty direct. They run hard and straight and have got some big men who want to get over the gainline and get good ball for their drivers like [Nicolas] Sanchez and this week, whether it’s Elton Jantjies or Handre Pollard, so they’ll be looking for the same direct route.’’