A look back at the South African’s first match in Agen colours. A great physical presence. A mental contribution, especially for his teammates.
What will we remember from the beginning of Jantjies? A 50 meter penalty as soon as it comes into play? A Vannetais who fell stunned at his feet? Big caramels in defense? A bit of everything.
The South African opener was entitled to 20 minutes on the Rabine turf. First opener, then first center as Thomas Vincent returns to blast Ramoka. Having to run after the score without exposing himself so as not to be definitively left behind, the conductor’s mission was a real challenge for Jantjies.
large veneers
Confident and keen to quickly reduce the mark, he did not hesitate to ask his captain for the posts as soon as he entered the fray, but he was 50 meters from the posts. His powerful shot missed by a few inches.
We saw the South African excel in defence. Several big tackles, including one on his vis-à-vis Maxime Lafage, who felt him pass. Faithful to the traditions of his homeland, the opener loves battle and duels.
So much for the visible part, because the player touched very few balls in the end. But the most interesting, invisible to the outside eye, is the testimony of his teammates. “We look at each other a lot on the pitch. He radiates confidence in his eyes and in his body language,” explains Antoine Erbani. “He is still world champion, remembers the young Clément Garrigues. He brings experience and confidence. And he made a good entrance I think. Elton is someone who is very calm but also has madness in the game.
Erbani: “In retrospect, his relaunch is the best choice”
Like when he started a counter-attack two minutes from time behind a scrum on his 22 metres. After crossing the advantage line, he collided violently with Sacha Valleau, leaving him knocked out. A daring choice? Erbani sees it differently. “If he had made the contact, we would have suffered a defensive sequence before the final whistle. And who knows… There he makes us gain ground. And with Vannetais’s KO, we were able to gain the necessary time to reaching this melee with the siren and pressing the key. In retrospect, it was the best choice.”
In a close and complicated match, Elton Jantjies therefore signed off on a good start. With two weeks of work with his new team, it will be interesting to see him at work for a longer period of time. Against Biarritz why not.
