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Lions Elton Jantjies clears the ball as Brumbies Josh Valentine runs in to block during the super 15 rugby match in Canberra Saturday, May 14, 2011. The Lions won the match 29 - 20. (AAP Image/Alan Porritt).
Ink in Elton Jantjies as the Boks count down to defending the Rugby World Cup. The South African Junior Player of the Year in 2010, the now 20-year-old fly-half, joined forces with new skipper Josh Strauss to set up the Lions’ shock 29-20 win over the Brumbies in Canberra last night.
The hugely-bearded Strauss, rugby’s answer to WG Grace, was tireless in attack and defence for the entire 80 minutes, leading by example.
But it was Jantjies’ magic that set up two superb tries, the first a perfectly-timed back-handed inside flick to winger Alwyn Hollenbach to score under the posts in the 44th minute.
The second, in the 61st, a 20 metre bust midfield, throwing another perfectly-timed no-look pass infield to full-back Jaco Taute who scooted another 20 metres to touch down.
Two game-breaker five-pointers to go with his three conversions from four, and his only penalty shot.
There’s not much of Jantjies at 176cm (5 foot 9) and 84kgs, but there’s an abundance of natural talent and with Boks fly-half incumbent Morne Steyn having a below par season, Jantjies is a tailor-made replacement come World Cup time.
A shock win for the Lions? Better believe it.
* The first by the Johannesburg-based franchise in Canberra in 16 years.
* Only the fourth win in 24 Super games – adding to the Reds, and the Force victories in 2007, and the Reds in 2009.
* And it followed a 53-19 whupping from the Cheetahs last round at the Lions’ home ground Ellis Park, known as Coca Cola Park.
Lions coach John Mitchell vacuumed the side, making 10 changes for last night – and it worked a treat.
The icing on the cake, the historic win pooped the party for the double celebration of Brumbies skipper Matt Giteau’s 100th Super game – 37 of them under Mitchell’s coaching at the Force – and the 100th Super home game for the Brumbies.
The loss, the ninth in 12 this season, added to the basket-case tag. But the Brumbies started so well, full of energy and passion to lead 10-nil after 18 minutes, then the wheels fell off. Again.
The Brumbies scored the first try of the game, and the last, but in between it was one-way Lions traffic. At one stage the visitors scored 22 unanswered points in 32 minutes on either side of the break as the Brumbies crumbled, and the Lions surged.
The Brumbies continual capitulation is hard to fathom, with 10 Wallabies in the squad.
Led by an all-Wallaby front row of Ben Alexander (24 caps), Stephen Moore (55), and Salesi Ma’afu (10), locks Mark Chisholm (58) and Peter Kimlin (2), half Josh Valentine (5), fly-half Giteau (91), utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper (51), full-back Pat McCabe (1), and bench hooker Huia Edmonds with four.
That’s 301 caps, more than enough to be well into the top half, not languishing second last.
And with two senior players in Giteau, heading for Toulon at seasons end, and Ashley-Cooper to the Waratahs, World Cup winning Boks coach Jake White will inherit a giant-sized headache for next season, his first of four, when he takes over in the capital.
That will test the no-nonsense White to the limit, but back him to make the necessary cultural changes that will return the Brumbies to contention status.
Just as importantly, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans needs the Brumbies to fire.