Coach57,555 posts
08 Aug 2013, 14:29
#1
08 Aug 2013, 14:29#1
One has to start wondering about the future playing career after what happened in the past year insofar as Jantjies is concerned.
In essence Jantjies had a reasonable Super 15 last year and towards the end of the competition became involved in a tussle against Mitchell. As a matter of fact the key instigators of the problem was Strauss and Jantjies. In the end it turned out that their complaints were groundless - meaning that their main aim was to undermine the then coach - Mitchell. The Lions had to re-instate him and it cost them a huge amount of money.
Then came the internationals last year. Jantjies was on the bench for the Springboks and never used in any game until the Pretoria test - where he was given playing time of circa 5 minutes. However, in the Soweto test Goosen was injured fairly early and Jantjies came on in his place and got some playing time. Within the first ten minutes Jantjies fouled up twice and thereafter his teammates never past the ball to him in the last 25 minutes of the game.
Even though he was in the first training camp of Meyer - he faded out of contention. Despite some difference in viewpoints by some members of this site - there is general agreement by most that he was disappointing in games he played in for the Stormers. In a few games he did some good things - but they were largely flash-in-the-pan cases - in general his play was sub-par. That ultimately resulted in him being dropped from the team for the final game of the Stormers this year in Super 15 - where the Stormers outplayed the Bulls without him - and Van Aswegen had a very good game in his absence.
In the meantime there has been runours floating around that the Stormers may sign him up for nnext year - but nothing concrete has emerged. My own assessment is that Jantjies was paid a fortune in accordance with the loan agreement he signed with the Stormers - and he did not deliver what was expected. As such - the Stormers would sign him up - but his fees would be less than half they forked out thus far.
Jantjies went to the Golden Lions for the play-offs. The first game was acceptable - more specifically so as the Lions won and the deficiencies of players - also Jantjies - were swept under the carpet. However, in the second play off match Jantjies was poor - even making handling errors not expected from a player non his level - and the situation is that he has now in the first CC match this year dropped by the Lions from their starting line-up.
Ackermann said immediately after the second play-off that the Lions is interested to sign him up - but here again it seems that they want a reasonably-priced contract. That apparently was followed by the dropping of him - seemingly because they may not be prepared to sign him up at the price he is demanding. In other words it is probable that the Lions is indicating that they do not regard him as indispensable and a sign that he should be reasonable before they sign him up.
Be it as it may, signs are that -
* his market value dropped alarmingly in the past year; and
* even if he is contracted, he may not necessarily be the first choice flyhalf for the franchise he may sign with.
That raises the question - why did this promising youngster not show the necessary capacity on senior level , while in his age group he showed capacity for further development? What went missing that eventually resulted that early promise did not materialize on senior level? Even though Gavin Rich - his great supporter - and Saffex constantly denied that there were deficiencies last year - there were and those deficiencies got by all accounts worse this year.
One wonders what the future holds for Jantjies - personally I think he has been played beyond his level of competence - especially this year - and he may end up playing on lower level. and end up with a contract wih one of the minor unions.
Sad to say - but this is a case where a promising youngster - on senior level did not make the grade.
