Jantjies

Best player on the park for me yesterday. His highlight reel from this one game against the Cheetahs has more in it than Morne Steyn's entire career. Great offloading and passing. Solid as f.uck on defence, kicked well and generally controlled the game masterfully. Looks like, just like last year, he'll yet again be SA'S best ten in the tournament. Actually, right now, he's probably playing better than any other 10 in the entire comp. There just is no other choice for the Bok 10 jersey. For me, it's his because nobody else comes close to deserving it as much. Literally, not even half way. The likes of Bambie and Pollard need to perform the way he has done to be considered again. Naysayers? Hot and cold?

 Plum
I agree with you on the Jantjies issue - but am still worried about his defense.  He made 7 tackles - missing 2 meaning a missed tackle ratio of 22,2% - which is too high for a backline player.    

Mike I think that the Lions are looking to capitalize off broken play more and more. When that happens, players do get isolated more often and defensive structures aren't always 100% ready for a counter attack. I'd rather have a fly-half who might miss the odd tackle but who can make tries. You pucnh more you gonna get hit more. Just gotta make sure you land the most shots ;)

Agreed - however, they are having a bye thi coming week and then have to play the Crusaders at home.  That would be a game that is going to be very interesting.   

PS. That Bulls/Sharks game really hurt my eyes.

Jantjies is a special talent......those touches of his to put players into space.....was poetry in motion......you cant teach that stuff
A player that should be cherished instead of questioned as so many conservative out of touch supporters do.
A progressive coach like Ackers embraces what he has to offer and reaps the rewards, a conservative fool like Coetzee was out of his depth with a player like Jantjies.
We have some good options at 10.....real headache for a coach......Jantjies or Pollard to start is the question......Jantjies gets my vote right now

Has he got over his nerves in big games....probably not. 

 The answer to the question is in the first line "Best player on the park for me yesterday." Noticeably his fan club went all quiet about the week before game.

 @ Denny

Yeah mate...completely ignore "Looks like, just like last year, he'll yet again be SA'S best ten in the tournament. Actually, right now, he's probably playing better than any other 10 in the entire comp"

And what of the previous week's game? He missed a couple of tackles. Clearly the deciding factor in whether or not a player gets a bok call-up is if he has a 100% tackle record.

Denny my bet is that, just like Moz you are a Steyn fan. Now there was a fly-half who could tackle huh? Or Butchie, who probably still has an aching shoulder from all those armless wonders he pulled off.

And lets also be clear. While i am a fan of both Pollard and Bambie, their missed tackle ratio is very similar to that of Jantjies'.

And, just to show that i am not biased towards players i rate: I'm willing to concede that we might very possibly not nearly have seen the best of Pollard since both Bulls and Bok coaches he has been playing under never promoted a running or passing game. The same can be said for Bambie at Bok level and to a degree at club level. Unfortunately we have to deal with the evidence that we have in front of us. And that evidence, over THE LAST TWO SEASONS clearly puts Jantjies very far in the lead in terms of starting at ten for the Boks. The only way you could think otherwise is if you are swayed by biased.

Having written the above, i now also realize that one could also speculate that since the Lions play a very counter attacking game, maybe Jantjies is more likely to miss a tackle or two per game more. Thoughts?

Not sure how one would try to balance that.

All i know is that i, and very many other people want to see the Boks playing rugby that gets us off our seats, high-fiving people in bars and watching replays on YouTube. For now, until proven otherwise, Jantjies is our best candidate for that. Maybe that makes me biased. Biased towards try scoring rugby. Seems by the way the Lions are supported by everyone in the country...I'm not alone.

The question to ask is this. How many tries this season, has Jantjies scored and how many has he made? What is his kicking record? How many positive momentum shifting moments has he been involved in or responsible for ? Compare that to any other SA 10, and it becomes clear how massively he is ahead of everyone.

Moz, i'd like to hear from you why you doubt that he has big match temperament. Has he messed up that badly in big games? No sarcasm, i'd really like to know.

 @ Denny

Yeah mate...completely ignore "Looks like, just like last year, he'll yet again be SA'S best ten in the tournament. Actually, right now, he's probably playing better than any other 10 in the entire comp"

And what of the previous week's game? He missed a couple of tackles. Clearly the deciding factor in whether or not a player gets a bok call-up is if he has a 100% tackle record.

Denny my bet is that, just like Moz you are a Steyn fan. Now there was a fly-half who could tackle huh? Or Butchie, who probably still has an aching shoulder from all those armless wonders he pulled off.

And lets also be clear. While i am a fan of both Pollard and Bambie, their missed tackle ratio is very similar to that of Jantjies'.

And, just to show that i am not biased towards players i rate: I'm willing to concede that we might very possibly not nearly have seen the best of Pollard since both Bulls and Bok coaches he has been playing under never promoted a running or passing game. The same can be said for Bambie at Bok level and to a degree at club level. Unfortunately we have to deal with the evidence that we have in front of us. And that evidence, over THE LAST TWO SEASONS clearly puts Jantjies very far in the lead in terms of starting at ten for the Boks. The only way you could think otherwise is if you are swayed by biased.

Having written the above, i now also realize that one could also speculate that since the Lions play a very counter attacking game, maybe Jantjies is more likely to miss a tackle or two per game more. Thoughts?

Not sure how one would try to balance that.

All i know is that i, and very many other people want to see the Boks playing rugby that gets us off our seats, high-fiving people in bars and watching replays on YouTube. For now, until proven otherwise, Jantjies is our best candidate for that. Maybe that makes me biased. Biased towards try scoring rugby. Seems by the way the Lions are supported by everyone in the country...I'm not alone.

The question to ask is this. How many tries this season, has Jantjies scored and how many has he made? What is his kicking record? How many positive momentum shifting moments has he been involved in or responsible for ? Compare that to any other SA 10, and it becomes clear how massively he is ahead of everyone.

Moz, i'd like to hear from you why you doubt that he has big match temperament. Has he messed up that badly in big games? No sarcasm, i'd really like to know.

 Sorry, double post.

Ps Happy Tuesday

 There...you've asked for opinions and I gave you mine. Now you shove it back down my throat....and No, I'm not a Steyn fan. In future I will reserve my comment. Seriously now, w hy does Morne Steyn come into the equation....he's come and gone the subject topic is Jantjies or so I believed.

I just heard that Jantjies has been injured....fractured his wrist or something to that effect...so he'll be out for a month or so. Bad news for someone really starting to blossom !

Such a shame Janjties has picked up a knock, he's really been starting to fulfill his potential and starting to control and effect games. If he comes back and continues in the same vain then it would be very unfair for him not be picked for the June internationals

"Looks like, just like last year, he'll yet again be SA'S best ten in the tournament."

Bullshit!

Lambie, Pollard and Lionel Cronje were at least three of the local players better than him in last year's tournament... But don't let facts get in the way of a good hype...

Quade Cooper had many incarnations they never lasted. 

 Not difficult to pick out the starry eyed rugby followers on here, who every year pick out some perfectly ordinary player like Liggies and Jantjies ......Super Rugby form is a very unreliable guide to test form. But for those who believe Super Rugby counts, only Morne Steyn among SA players has won the Super Rugby Player of the Year award....put that in your pipe and smoke it.
YearWinnerOther nominees2001Carlos Spencer ( Blues)2002Stirling Mortlock ( Brumbies)[1]2003Joe Roff( Queensland Reds)2004Daniel Carter ( Crusaders)Jonah Lomu Wellington2005Chris Latham( Queensland Reds)2006Daniel Carter ( Crusaders)2007Rocky ElsomDaniel Braid ( Blues)[2]
Isaia Toeava ( Blues)[2]
Jimmy Cowan ( Highlanders)[2]2008George Smith ( Brumbies)[3]2009Morné Steyn ( Bulls)[4]2010Quade Cooper ( Queensland Reds)

Yeah Moz you continue to confirm your conservatism.....Morne Steyn......ouch.......they don't get much worse than that

 Mozart
Morne Steyn may have been of value in 2009 - the hype was massive in his case, However - since 2012 he was atrocious in every game he played.  Meyer was forced to drop him in 2012 and twice in 2014.   Is that not a lesson for you to learn about de ar Morne?   

 Well if one believes that rubbish you prove my point. This is not me Dave, it's the official award for S15 Player of the Year....schplott!

Moz you have Morne I'll take Jantjies...it sums up out outlooks on the game perfectly