Springbok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies says the team needs to produce a more clinical performance if they hope to claim a win over Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Jantjies will once again wear the No 9 jersey as he retains his place in the starting lineup of the team that ground out a win over Wales in Cardiff in the opening Test of the Outgoing Tour.
The wet and rainy conditions at the Principality Stadium made it difficult to get any continuity with ball in hand and probably did not suit Jantjies’ strengths, as he also made a couple of errors with the boot.
However, the probability of rain is slim with kick-off set for 1pm (UK time) at Murrayfield, which Jantjies hopes will ensure a better flow to the game than against Wales.
“Hopefully the conditions will be better this week,” Jantjies said. “For us, however, it is important to be sharp when the opportunities present themselves on Saturday.
“I think there were some opportunities last week that we did not turn into points. Hopefully we are much sharper this weekend.”
Jantjies will form the halfback combination with namesake Elton. The two were last paired together at the 2019 World Cup against Namibia and were the halfbacks when Herschel Jantjies made his Springbok debut.
“Whether I start with Pollie [Handre Pollard] or Ella, I know that the guy is aligned with what we want to achieve as a team and to execute the plan,” Jantjies says.
“Elton and I have a good relationship off the field. We have not played together for a long time but it does not change anything. Our focus is to execute the plan and play a good game.”
Jantjies is being exposed to European conditions for the first time on this tour, having not been in the squad for the previous tour of Europe in 2018.
Elton Jantjies and he will likely be up against Scotland’s British & Irish Lions pair Finn Russell and Ali Price.
“They are good players who played for the British & Irish Lions. Russell has a bag full of tricks, but it will not help me and Elton to focus too much on the other guys, ”says Jantjies.
“The important thing is to stay aligned, understand each other and execute the plan.”
Photo: Mark Tantrum/Getty
