Ken Borland

When Herschel Jantjies said returning to the Springbok team that played against Wales on Saturday in Durban “felt like my debut”, it was not the throwaway line it often is when players want to express their gratitude for another chance at international level.

And Jantjies took advantage of the opportunity, coming off the bench in the 51st minute and scoring a try in the 63^rd minute as South Africa won 43-0 at Kings Park.

The 30-year-old scrumhalf last played for South Africa on August 5, 2023, coming off the bench against Argentina in Buenos Aires as the Springboks won 24-13 in their first warm-up match for the World Cup.

In what Jantjies admitted was a “heartbreaking” call, he did not, however, make the World Cup squad and has been in the wilderness up until this year’s Nations Championship. Little wonder then that he likened his absence to being deprived of life-giving food.

“It’s like I’ve been starved for three years and it feels like my debut all over again this weekend,” Jantjies said during the week. “It’s been an amazing up-and-down journey since that last game against Argentina, and I also moved clubs from the Stormers to Bayonne, which was a hard decision.

“So I’m very grateful to be back. I know my game is not perfect, I know what my work-ons are, sometimes that’s even things you are good at. And the work doesn’t stop now because I am back here with the Springboks. It means I do even more work, I need to work harder to stay here and make sure I’m in contention for the Greatest Rivalry Tour against the All Blacks.

“It was unbelievably heartbreaking to miss out on the 2023 World Cup and I still remember the squad announcement when coach Rassie put the names on a board in the team room. Obviously it wasn’t lekker to not be on the list, but the guys who were in the group were next level. The guys chosen as scrumhalves were all amazing players – Faf de Klerk, Grant Williams, who can cover wing as well, Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse.

“Rassie did come to me afterwards and said I mustn’t think it’s the end of the world. I allowed myself time to grieve – but not too long – and later I understood that he meant I must work harder to bring my game and myself to the pitch,” the 2019 World Cup winner said.

Fellow scrumhalf Embrose Papier has been out of the Springbok picture for even longer and Jantjies said the Bulls star, who returned to the Green and Gold in last weekend’s win over Scotland, has been an inspiration.

“Embrose last played for the Springboks eight years ago, so he has been an inspiration – he didn’t give up, so why should I? And then to play the way he did, he had a really good game. Imagine the nerves he had, it just makes me want it even more.

“It’s about making sure I make the right decisions. It’s up to myself to make it work and there are no guarantees. But being back in the Springbok squad has reignited the spark. I’m not personally competing with Embrose because I can’t just beat one guy. There’s still scrumhalves like Morne van den Berg and Jaden Hendrikse who aren’t even here. I can’t spend time worrying too much about the competition, I just need to focus on myself,” Jantjies said.

So how have the Springboks changed in Jantjies’ time out of the picture?

“From the outside, you can tell the Springboks have become an all-court team. In 2019, people would say South Africa just kicked and mauled and used their scrum. But now, if I had to play against the Springboks, I wouldn’t know where to focus to stop them. Coaches like Jerry Flannery, Tony Brown, Felix Jones, Rassie Erasmus and Mzwandile Stick are all megaminds.

“And the depth is incredible, and not just at scrumhalf, it’s in any position. I’ve been amazed to see the growth and evolution in the team since 2019. There’s tight competition for places, so you can’t take any single moment for granted,” Jantjies said.

Given New Zealand’s recent struggles and Ireland’s waning, unconvincing performances, France is shaping as the biggest threat in next year’s World Cup. Jantjies said part of the reason for that is the rude health of the French domestic game.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave the Stormers because that is home. I left on 98 caps as well, so hopefully one day I can come back and complete the one-hundred. But from a personal point of view, it has definitely helped my game, as well as allowing myself and my family to explore a different part of the world.

“It’s a different system of rugby over there and I’ve been able to pick the brains of international veterans at Bayonne like Manu Tuilagi and Maxime Machenaud. I’ve really learnt the French way of playing. The way they play speaks to me, it brings out the best in me, I’m able to display myself.

“You always play well off confidence and preparation creates that. After one or two good games in France I was able to remind myself of that. They’ve all been so welcoming at Bayonne and I can just play my game.

“French rugby is a different league and I really feel my game has improved. The season is so long and you are thrown in the deep end when you play away from home with the Academy boys. But it teaches you to adapt and learn on the fly. A scrumhalf like Maxime, adding to what is already in his arsenal at the age of 37, just shows amazing mindset,” Jantjies said.

With the victory in the big game against England safely tucked away in the Done folder, Rassie Erasmus has been able to make the raft of changes that was clearly the desire of the Springbok coach for this Saturday’s Nations Championship Test against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld.

Ten of the 23-man squad that saw off England in impressive fashion at Ellis Park have been retained for the Pretoria match, but only five of them remain in the starting line-up. One of the more interesting selections is the shifting of Damian Willemse, the correct choice for man of the match against England after his outstanding display at fullback, to inside centre.

Jesse Kriel will be alongside him as he retains the No.13 jersey, while Pieter-Steph du Toit, as captain and blindside flank, and Paul de Villiers on the openside, continue to stand in for Siya Kolisi as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Lock Ruan Nortje, whose work-rate was typically admirable at Ellis Park, is the other player to keep their starting place.

Canan Moodie moves from the bench to starting on the left wing, while scrumhalf Grant Williams, also brilliant at Ellis Park, goes in the other direction. That provides the opportunity for the long-awaited return of Embrose Papier to the Springbok fold. The form scrumhalf of the United Rugby Championship last appeared in Test rugby on November 24, 2018, as a 21-year-old against Wales at the Millenium Stadium.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Zachary Porthen and Ben-Jason Dixon retain their places among the substitutes.

Erasmus said Kolisi should be all right to play next week, as should Lood de Jager and Ethan Hooker. The news on Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche is not so good.

“We want to give Eben proper time because he has had history with concussion. I don’t think he’ll play in the Nations Championship, we should target Argentina [August 8) for his return. Ox, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg should be fit three weeks before the New Zealand series.

“Scotland winning in Argentina did not have any role in our selection. We picked this team for us to make sure we go to the World Cup next year knowing who can do what, where and when under pressure. Scotland played really well, they are a good team and they beat England in the Six Nations. So it could be a tougher game this weekend.

“We didn’t necessarily look at franchise combinations, it was just who is fit to play and players we would like to see what they can do. We don’t have a lot of caps and we will be much less experienced than Scotland. But these players wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think they can do the job.

“The wear and tear on players is tough, although we’re fairly fresh now because we have lots of Japan-based players. But then someone like Siya, who didn’t play for six weeks because his franchise was out of the URC, is well-rested but then got injured.

“So this selection is more about rotation, which is not easy because you always want to win. It’s difficult if you lose because then you lose momentum and belief as well. If Saturday had gone badly, then we would have held some guys back and been more conservative in this selection, making just one or two changes,” Erasmus said.

Given how impressive Papier has been for the Bulls over several successful URC campaigns, his continued absence from the Springbok picture baffled many; there were even (inevitably?) whispers about Erasmus and him having some sort of fallout.

But the coach said he was happy the 29-year-old had forced his way back into contention through sheer performance.

“Embrose has played very well this season,” Erasmus said on Monday when asked what had changed his mind about Papier. “2018 was my first year as coach and he earned his caps then. But then guys like Faf de Klerk, Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse established themselves, even Herschel Jantjies was involved in winning a World Cup.

“So we had a bunch of really good 9s; sometimes you don’t get selected not because you’re not playing well or because you’re not Springbok class. But you could not look past the way he has played this year, there have been some injuries and some guys have lost form. I am very happy for him personally and we wanted him to play with Handre Pollard, who he is familiar with at flyhalf, which will help him,” Erasmus said.

Speaking of Pollard, there are concerns over the 32-year-old’s form and his return to the starting flyhalf position marks a crucial opportunity for him to dispel any talk of him not being on board for next year’s World Cup. In some circles, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok and Willemse would be considered ahead of him in the flyhalf pecking order.

Willemse starting at inside centre last happened on September 13 last year – that landmark day when the Springboks handed the All Blacks a record defeat in Wellington. The double World Cup winner had been influential in the No.12 jersey, but then, in the 38^th minute, with the Springboks trailing 7-10, Aphelele Fassi was injured and Willemse shifted to fullback.

His performance was a revelation and one of the great individual displays in Springbok history, and Willemse has been in the No.15 jersey for the next seven Tests he played in. But with the unfortunate Fassi back in the Springbok mix for the first time since then, Erasmus wants to get him back up and running. With Andre Esterhuizen concussed, Willemse has the chance to remind everyone how good he is at inside centre as well.

Other players looking to re-state their ability are Edwill van der Merwe, fresh off a hat-trick against the Barbarians, on the wing, Evan Roos at eighthman, Cobus Wiese at lock and Johan Grobbelaar and Boan Venter in the front row. Ntuthuko Mchunu, another standout star in the URC, and Porthen are extremely mobile props on the bench and they will be well-suited to an attacking Scottish side playing at altitude.

Ben-Jason Dixon did well as a replacement lock against England and will surely fill that role again at Loftus Versfeld, with Vincent Tshituka and late inclusion Elrigh Louw providing loose forward cover on the bench. Having originally been left out of the Nations Championship squad following a major knee injury that saw him miss most of 2025, Louw has more to gain than most if he can put up a barnstorming performance on his home ground.

Lions star Quan Horn will provide cover for both the fullback and flyhalf positions, Erasmus confirmed.

“Damian Willemse has done helluva well at 15 and now he has a different role at inside centre, he probably won’t have to catch a lot of box-kicks … But we wanted to give Damian de Allende a rest and we wanted to see Aphelele Fassi at fullback. Quan Horn will cover 10 and 15,” Erasmus said.

Team: Aphelele Fassi; Edwill van de Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Canan Moodie; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Evan Roos, Pieter-Steph du Toit (capt), Paul de Villiers, Ruan Nortje, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Boan Venter. Replacements– Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Vincent Tshituka, Elrigh Louw, Grant Williams, Quan Horn.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus may be downplaying the importance of winning the inaugural Nations Championship, but filling his team with World Cup winners and first-choice regulars to play England at Ellis Park on Saturday makes it clear how seriously South Africa are taking their opening Test of the year.

With only the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu absent, the backline is probably the one Erasmus would name if it were the World Cup final on Saturday. And up front are all the formidable old names – the now-established first-choice loose trio of captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese; Eben Etzebeth and Ruan Nortje in the second row, and Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit in the front row.

One can probably vigorously debate whether Grant Williams or Cobus Reinach are the number one scrumhalf; but Williams has played 28 Tests already and can no longer be called inexperienced, while Reinach has not played any rugby since his injury on Stormers duty at the end of April.

Du Toit may or may not be South Africa’s best tighthead prop, but English pundits have nothing but praise for him, the 31-year-old having taken the European game  by storm during his three years at Bath. With Wilco Louw fatigued after a tough URC campaign, the Sharks-bound Du Toit gets an early chance to lay down a marker in the Springbok jersey, his mobility for a high-paced game at altitude being a plus.

It is fit and proper that Erasmus and the Springboks are taking England so seriously, in contrast to many South Africans who expect them to be filling their boots against Steve Borthwick’s visitors.

Yes, England struggled in the Six Nations, but let’s not forget that at the start of this year, it was this weekend’s clash at Ellis Park that was creating the most excitement for the early rounds of the new Nations Championship. England had risen to third in the world rankings thanks to their unbeaten run through their Autumn Internationals, including a 33-19 dismantling of the All Blacks, and them versus South Africa seemed to be a match-up between the two most in-form teams on the planet.

The momentum was lost in the Six Nations, until England nearly beat champions France in Paris. They looked back on the up again and showed that they do still have some potent weapons.

“Our mindset is just to win another Test match and I’m pretty sure England are the same. The Barbarians match was a nice warm-up and it helped get the guys into the structure, but this is now a big Test. England are always tough, their strength in numbers is really good, many of their players were in the Premiership final so their standard is very high,” Erasmus warned when announcing his team this week.

“There are not a lot of games against England in our squad and it will be all about how quickly we can get cohesion, alignment and playing together. England should have won their last game against France, they only just lost, and having been here a while, they’ve probably adapted to altitude.

“We’ll have to see how they run the ball, but they have a young and energetic side that fits an open, running game. We’ll have to get the better of them facet by facet of the game, try and win by dominating the different departments of the game.

“This is a big year for us, there are young guys there in our squad but they don’t have a lot of caps and next year is the World Cup. The priority is to keep our momentum and belief, so we’re just trying to win, we won’t be chasing bonus points. If we win all our games, we’ll win the Nations Championship.

“We just want to try and get on the front foot, get momentum, but it’s not going to be easy. Which is why we’ve chosen a more experienced side. If it goes well on Saturday, then we can use more youngsters in the next few weeks,” Erasmus said.

The double World Cup winning coach’s caution is also justified by history: the last Test the Springboks played at Ellis Park was their embarrassing 38-22 defeat to Australia on August 16 last year, while the last time they played England in Johannesburg was on June 16, 2018.

On that occasion, the Springboks won 42-39, recovering from a horror start in which they went 24-3 down. It was just Rassie’s second Test as head coach and Siya Kolisi was the first Black African to lead South Africa in a Test match. The lesson from that game was that momentum can shift very quickly at Ellis Park.

Last year’s defeat to the Wallabies provided another salient lesson and warning – it is easy, given how fast-scoring matches can be at Ellis Park, to get carried away. The Springboks were near-perfect in the opening quarter, leading 22-0 with some scintillating rugby. But then they hit a speed wobble, over-played and Australia were well-deserved winners.

Using Manie Libbok at flyhalf worked marvellously when the Springboks were in charge and on attack, but his game management was exposed when the Wallabies fought their way back into the contest. It seemed on that day that Libbok had only one gear – flat out – and their game eventually spiralled out of control, a bit like what has happened to English cricket with their Bazball.

This Saturday at Ellis Park will be the first Test since then that Erasmus is using Libbok in the No.10 jersey. The injury to Feinberg-Mngomezulu nows gives the former Stormers star the chance to show that the effective job he has done coming off the bench since then can be repeated from the start.

“I have a clear understanding what my role is. I need to go out there and lead with my voice, drive the team around the park and make sure we execute our game plan. I need to do my exits, make sure we are in the right areas and play with the right balance,” Libbok told SuperSport this week.

“It’s especially about looking after the forwards, not wasting their energy and overplaying them. I need to handle the pressure, kick at the right times and get in their territory,” Libbok said, perhaps in reference to the feeling that the Springboks had shot their bolt way too early against the Wallabies last season.

South Africa are going to have to box smart against England and it will require a much more controlled performance from them if their proud record against the Red Rose in Johannesburg is not going to go the same way as their one against Australia went to everyone’s shock last year.

England have not won at Ellis Park since 1972 and anywhere on the Highveld since 2000, while Australia’s previous win at the intimidating venue came in 1963 and they had not triumphed anywhere in South Africa since 2011.

England are a competent side across the board and the Springboks will be looking for a knockout blow via their usual weapons of physical dominance at the gainline and in the set-pieces, with a lethal backline able to both create space and take advantage of what materialises thanks to their mighty forwards.

The DP World Lions Ladies team has had a month off from HollywoodBets ProSeries action, but it’s not as if they have been enjoying tubs of ice-cream and refreshing swimming pools during this festive period: the focus has been squarely on preparing for this weekend’s crucial visit to Durban to take on the Dolphins.

It’s a vital weekend for the DP World Lions with their hosts enjoying an unbeaten season in both the Pro50 and T20 competitions. World Sports Betting Western Province are also unbeaten in the shortest format, so victory for #ThePrideOfJozi in Sunday’s T20 match will keep them in touch with the leaders.

In the 50-over competition, victory for the DP World Lions will bring them within one win of the HollywoodBets Dolphins, with a game in hand.

“INTENT” is the message coach Shaun Pretorius has been thumping home in the DP World Lions’ build-up to this crunch weekend.

“After playing Western Province, we had a week off and then we did some nice team-building and played some golf. But we started three weeks ago with our prep for the visit to Kingsmead, just to make sure the players keep their loads up. It’s been good to have a bit of a break, but if there’s any sort of holiday mindset then we won’t achieve success,” Pretorius says.

“We need to be switched on all the time, that’s when things tend to go your way. Against the unbeaten Dolphins, it’s going to be all about intent and I keep reminding the ladies of that and the way we finished last season. We didn’t beat the Dolphins in the 50-over match, but in the T20 we really took them on and the results were phenomenal.

“So we need the same mindset this weekend and we can’t allow their bowlers to settle. As #ThePrideOfJozi, we are happy to take on that challenge. We need to take away their ability to dictate terms by manipulating the field, we must determine the pace of the game,” Pretorius says.

Shorn of the batting abilities of Tazmin Brits, Karabo Meso, Diara Ramlakan and Sinalo Jafta (who are all away with the Proteas or the SA U19 team in India), there is obviously some pressure on the experienced duo of Kirstie Thomson and Sunette Viljoen-Louw to lead the charge of the DP World Lions batting line-up.

So far the contributions of the top-order have been dwarfed by the middle and lower-order, but Pretorius is hoping the run of good starts not being converted comes to an end this weekend.

“Once our top-order comes through then we will really be a major force to be reckoned with. We’re just missing those valuable partnerships up front at the moment.

“Kirstie and Sunette are obviously vital for us. It’s been really good to see Sunette take responsibility in the middle-order and she is the leading run-scorer in the Pro50. Sunette just wants to embrace every moment that’s left in her career, and that’s why, after we signed Tazmin Brits, we wanted to keep her in the squad. We asked her to move to the middle-order and she has worked really hard on her skills there,” Pretorius says.

The absence of Proteas pace bowler Tumi Sekhukhune and SA U19 all-rounder Fay Cowling has been offset by the availability of Ayabonga Khaka, who continues to perform impressively in white-ball cricket for the national team.