Good start will be crucial, warns Elton

– Expect the unexpected, is the warning issued by the Springboks flyhalf and playmaker Elton Jantjies ahead of their Rugby Championship opener against Argentina on Saturday.

Jantjies, who had been in scintillating form in Super Rugby, said the Pumas are a dangerous side as soon as they get a sniff.

“They are not a normal side where you know what’s coming. They bring that unexpected aspect, like a quick throw-in or a quick tap, so we’ll have to be on the alert,” said Jantjies (above).

“We have to make sure whatever plan we have in place we execute that plan well and obviously they bring something different to the party.”

With the 46 000-seater Nelson Mandela Bay stadium heading for a sellout, Jantjies is well aware the Pumas are a side who like to start like a house on fire.

“I think first of all we are going to have to have a good start against the Pumas,” he said.

“If you allow them to start well they grow in confidence and the first 20 minutes especially are going to be key for us.”

Eager to build on the confidence from the June Tests against France, Jantjies said he and his Lions team-mates hold no mental scars from the Super Rugby final.

“We had to put that final behind us as soon as possible,” he said.

“When we got back to the Boks we spoke to a few guys about how exciting it is to be back in the Bok group again.”

After 14 Tests and 130 points, there are few things as special as the Bok jersey to the 27-year-old Jantjies.

“Sometimes you might take it for granted, but there’s new energy and the new culture we have been building on, taking it day by day,” he said.

“It’s easy to settle back in quickly with our management’s style and the way we want to play.”