Elton Jantjies’ wife Iva has criticised South African team management for how they handled allegations that the Springboks star had an affair with the team’s dietitian.
Jantjies and Boks dietitian Zeenat Simjee were sent home from the tour of Argentina this week after a newspaper reported they had been staying together away from the rest of the team during the series against the All Blacks.
South Africa team management claimed “no team protocols were breached” while SARU chief Mark Alexander described the situation as “hearsay” and “gossip” despite the decision to send both home.
“The Springbok management are aware of reports regarding Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies and team dietitian Zeenat Simjee between the training camp in Sabie and the test match against New Zealand in Mbombela earlier this year,” SA Rugby said in a statement.
Iva and Elton Jantjies (Source: Instagram)
“No team protocols were breached, but the individuals are returning to South Africa to attend to these personal reports and to eliminate any distractions to the team’s preparations for the Test against Argentina.”
In an interview with News24 in South Africa, Iva said she was shocked “how lightly this has been taken”.
“This is very concerning for all the Springbok wives as none of us was aware that this behaviour is actually not breaking any rules, and it’s taken so lightly,” she said.
“It’s very disappointing for a World Cup-winning management to allow situations like this to be created inside the team environment.”
She said the allegations had come as a shock.
“We have been together since 2014 and had our ups and downs like every other couple. I have always been there to support him through good and bad times, and I still am,” said Iva.
“When we met, he was not even part of the Bok squad, we worked really hard for him to achieve his goals and dreams. [I] sacrificed so many things, including my career and my dream.
“We have been together for almost a decade. We will always have love for each other, and we will always be a unit. We have three beautiful children that love him unconditionally.”
She said she would “probably not” stay romantically involved with Jantjies, although added he denied the allegations.
Former Wallabies Bledisloe Cup winner Elton Flatley has revealed the key message he and two other ‘Classic Wallabies” delivered to the current crop on Sunda.
And while Flatley spoke of imparting the message of “belief” a former All Blacks star suggested that might be something that the Wallabies have been lacking in over their 20 year barren spell.
“We just had a bit of a chat about our experiences when we played,” Flatley told Fox Sports.
“We obviously spoke about how special the Bledisloe Cup is to all of us.
“When you retire, the things you miss the most about playing are having that opportunity to create something special as a team.
“Obviously these guys have that opportunity on Thursday, and we encouraged them to really enjoy that opportunity and told them that all the Classic Wallabies are right behind the team.”
The Wallabies strung together some famous wins in the early 2000s, including John Eales winning penalty and a Toutai Kefu late show.
“That was the other message was that those games go right to the end, so just rip in for the 80 minutes,” Flatley said.
“It wasn’t a big wordsmith kind of thing, but it was a couple of messages and it’s really about opportunity and, I suppose, leaving a legacy and things like that as a team.”
The Wallabies have come close in the last seven years having led the series in 2015 and 2019, and drawn it in 2014 and 2020.
Flatley said that era was defined by “belief”.
“Probably belief that we were definitely good enough as a group to go out and execute, and we knew if we did that we’d have a good chance to win,” Flatley said.
“We had a great group and a lot of were very tight mates and we had a great chemistry within the group, some good senior players.
“I think everyone was smiling, we all really enjoyed our time together but probably the belief was the big thing.”
Former All Blacks skipper Kieran Read started in 2008 and last played for the team in 2019, meaning he never lost the Cup.
He said the All Blacks always respected the talent in the Australian team but sensed there was a missing piece.
“Sometimes the puzzling thing was they didn’t often put it out on the field when we played them,” Read told the All Blacks Podcast this week.
“But you prepared like they were going to put out their best game which, when they did, they beat us a few times, and that respect of knowing what could be coming our way really drove us.”
Read played in some significant defeats but his favourite memory was the World Cup semifinal win in 2011.
“That win was pretty cool because we had been tipped up by them in Brisbane a handful of weeks before. The scoreboard didn’t show it, but we just absolutely dominated them. It was a really, really cool game to be part of.”
ABs legend Richie McCaw says he has full faith that Ian Foster and Sam Cane can deliver success at next year’s World Cup.
“I trust them a lot,” McCaw told Midi Olympique in France.
“The results are what they are today, but we are one year away from the World Cup and there is still time.
“There is plenty of time left. In 2010 there were also questions about the coach and players, and we finally won afterwards.
“Things can change very quickly”.
McCaw was an integral member of the 2011 Cup winning team.
“Obviously I want to see the All Blacks win every match, but that’s not the case. I hope they learn from their defeats,” McCaw said.
“I also remember that in 2009 we lost three Tests and still won the World Cup two years later.
“There will be several favourites, but I have no doubt that we have a team calibrated to win the next World Cup.”
New Zealand will open the tournament against France.
“I am impressed by the quality of this French team. The opener against the All Blacks will be a hell of a game and I think it will be spectacular,” said McCaw.
“I watched New Zealand-France last November, Antoine Dupont was sensational.
“He manages the team in the right direction. They don’t have very old players, but they trust each other, it shows.
“They have the elements to maintain a very high level of speed, many of the players in this generation arrived at the same time, it’s a fun team to watch and believe in.
“I was talking about a lack of confidence in the All Blacks, for the French it is the opposite. But they are not unbeatable.”
New Zealand rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick, who paid two visits to Buckingham Palace with the All Blacks, said the late Queen Elizabeth II taught him an invaluable piece of etiquette.
Fitzpatrick — capped over 90 times and a member of the team that won the inaugural World Cup in 1987 — told the BBC that Britain’s longest serving monarch, who died last Thursday aged 96, was “very knowledgeable about rugby”.
She presented the Webb Ellis Trophy to Nick Farr-Jones, the captain of 1991 World Cup winners Australia, at Twickenham after they beat England.
However, while Fitzpatrick could tell her little that she did not already know about rugby, Queen Elizabeth was able to put him right on drinking protocol at Buckingham Palace when he paid his second visit there in 1997.
The Queen was a huge fan of New Zealand, paying 10 visits there — Fitzpatrick could recall as a young boy waving a flag as her motorcade drove past — with her last in 2002.
He said his visits to Buckingham Palace were memorable.
“The first time in 1989 coming from New Zealand, 12,000 miles away to actually see Buckingham Palace and drive through the gates and wait in those amazing rooms was extraordinary,” the 59-year-old told the BBC on Wednesday.
“In 1997 I can remember talking to the Queen and this was about 4 in the afternoon.
“We were served tea and I said to the Queen ‘Ma’am I recall the last time we were here we drank gin and tonics.’
“She replied ‘Sean we never have gin and tonics till after six o’clock.'”
Fitzpatrick said he was privileged to be a New Zealander in London at this historic time.
He and his family were among the tens of thousands that lined the route on Tuesday as her hearse was driven from an air force base to Buckingham Palace.
“For a New Zealander living in London and experiencing the outpouring of love is just amazing.
“We walked up to Paddington last night to see her cortege and what really stood out to me were the little conversations we had with people we had never met about the Queen.
“Then suddenly total silence descended over the thousands of people lining the route as her procession went past.
“We were very fortunate to be there and see it.”
England became the first team in history – men or women – to win 25 Tests in a row as they finished their World Cup preparations with an 11-try 73-7 win over Wales at Bristol’s Ashton Gate.
The Red Roses head into next month’s World Cup in New Zealand as hot favourites having last lost to the Kiwis in 2019.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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