Elton Jantjies’ mental health was put first with non-selection, says coach

Durban - Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber says he could not revert to Elton Jantjies to solve the team’s flyhalf crisis because it would have put the 32-year-old’s mental health at risk.

The Boks lost Damian Willemse to concussion in Buenos Aries last week and Handré Pollard was injured in Adelaide a month ago, so a recall for the 46-cap Jantjies would have got the Boks out of a tight corner but Nienaber says Jantjies would have been under too much pressure.

Instead, Nienaber has opted for veteran Frans Steyn for Saturday's big Rugby Championship clash against Argentina at Kings Park, and Faf de Klerk will cover both scrumhalf and flyhalf from the bench.

“It would have been nice to pick Elton, but mental health is a big thing,” Nienaber said. “There would have been too much external pressure on him and from a perspective of humanity, it would have been unfair to bring him back.

“Elton would have been under too much pressure, and with us the human side comes first.”

Nienaber reiterated his disappointment at the external pressure that was put on the Boks last Saturday when rumours of alleged recreational drug use among some of the players surfaced.

As it turned out, the Boks pulled together and delivered a great performance to beat the Pumas 36-20, but Nienaber said that the drama that unfolded just hours before kick-off was “irritating.”

“Look the rugby pressure is nice, that is what you want. But the other pressure is disappointing because we know the truth,” he said.

“We put out a statement with the truth in it. If there is stuff we can comment on about off-the-field things, we will do so. We have nothing to hide.

“But the (white) noise is almost irritating. One never wants that type of pressure on your team because it has nothing to do with rugby, but we like the rugby pressure, we like the fact that this Saturday is a final and all four teams are in it to win it.”

@MikeGreenaway67