Sunday Times

Coach’s backing, time vital for No 10 to prosper

- KHANYISO TSHWAKU

ELTON Jantjies’s suitabilit­y for the “poisoned chalice” that is the Springbok No 10 jersey will forever remain up for debate, especially with his recent performanc­es.

The fact Jantjies has played only seven tests* since his 2012 debut against Australia at Loftus Versfeld raises questions in terms of how South African flyhalves are blooded.

It also leaves the issues of whether the 26-year-old is being given enough time to settle and how much time a flyhalf needs to be comfortabl­e at internatio­nal level.

Former Springbok flyhalf and 1995 Rugby World Cup winner Hennie le Roux said a lot of factors determine how much time a pivot needs to stake a serious claim at internatio­nal level.

Backing from coaches is the important prerequisi­te.

“How a flyhalf adapts to internatio­nal rugby is highly dependent on the coach and the specific game plan, the players selected around the staid No 10 and whether the game plan the specific coach is persuing is one the flyhalf is used to at provincial level. If certain players do not fit in the coaches’ plan, then it makes things difficult,” Le Roux said.

“That impacts on the player because when the player is uncomforta­ble with the environmen­t, that also has an impact on the players selected around the specific No 10. There has to be buy-in in terms of the coaches’ selected plan and the players need to be confident.”

The fact New Zealand were able to blood Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett while legendary flyhalf Dan Carter still owned the No 10 jersey spoke of a succession plan that is bearing fruit.

Cruden (27) and Barrett (25) have racked up 42 tests* each even though

There are players who are provincial stars but falter at internatio­nal level because of game plans and combinatio­ns

they have started only 25 and 12 of their respective matches.

Cruden made his first test start in his sixth test while Barrett’s allround skills saw him make his first All Black start at 15 in his 15th test before his first flyhalf start came seven matches later.

In the same period, former Bok coach Heyneke Meyer gave starting debuts to Handre Pollard and Johan Goosen, who didn’t disgrace themselves. However, Jantjies had to be content with bench duty in the times he was called up by Meyer.

Le Roux was loath to blame the former coach but felt Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has not quite identified what are Jantjies’s strengths and weaknesses.

“In some sense, provincial coaches can hide players’ weaknesses because of the amount of time they spend with them, which is where the relationsh­ip between provincial coaches and the Bok coach is critical,” Le Roux said.

“There are many players who are provincial stars but falter at internatio­nal level because of game plans and combinatio­ns. There are very good players with glaring weaknesses and regardless of how they adapt at internatio­nal level, there are still fundamenta­ls that need to be worked.

“A good coach doesn’t have to vary his players very often because a quality player may have a bad game but they remain a quality player. What is key at test match level is for players not to have weaknesses because the amount of analysis in the lead-up into a test match strips players bare.

“If you have weaknesses, the opposition will expose them. By the time a player gets to Bok level, they need to have all the basics and if he has a bad game, you endure with him knowing full well that he’s a good player.” *Caps do not take into account yesterday’s test match

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