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Jantjes faces real test

Stephen Nell

Cape Town – Now for the real deal.

A friendly match against the Griffons is one thing, but a bruising Currie Cup encounter against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein quite another.

Conrad Jantjes will know exactly where he stands after Saturday’s match in the City of Roses.

The Springbok fullback has been engaged in a physical, emotional and psychological battle for the past 14 months after suffering a bad break of his right leg in last year’s Super 14 match for the Stormers against the Chiefs at Newlands.

“For me it’s a big achievement just to be back. That is why I have not even thought about the Springboks,” said Jantjes.
“I had to literally teach myself to walk again and started jogging after that. When you go through something like that you don’t look too far ahead into the future. You live for the moment.”

Jantjes is nervously excited about Saturday’s big moment in Bloemfontein.

The Free Staters are a team that kick well tactically and there won’t be any mercy for Jantjes just because he has recovered from a serious injury.

“I prefer it that way,” he said about the possibility of the Cheetahs testing him with a few kicks.

“I wanted to get my hands on the ball as early as possible against the Griffons last week. You can be tackled a hundred times during training, but nothing compares to the intensity of a competitive game situation.”

It’s always physical against the Cheetahs and if Jantjes passes the test it will equip him with a lot of confidence for the immediate future.

“Last Friday’s game was dominated by the forwards and I did not have much to do. There was not much running by the backs.”

Province have some continuity up front from the Stormers’ Super 14 campaign, with five forwards that started the Super 14 final against the Bulls still there.

They are eager to build on the success of the past year in spite of having nine players in the current Springbok squad.

While a trophy for the senior team is proving elusive, last year’s Currie Cup campaign and this year’s Super 14 point to a revival of the union’s fortunes.

“The personnel has changed, but the culture has been created,” said Jantjes.

“However, it’s our first game in the Currie Cup now. I don’t want to say it because it’s such a cliché, but it really is a matter of taking it game by game!”

So too for Jantjes, who learned in hospital about not getting ahead of himself.

“The Tuesday after I broke my leg there was a 12-year-old boy in the hospital who wanted to meet me. He was a cancer patient. That taught me that sulking is not an option,” he said.

“You can’t plan too far in advance because you simply don’t know what will happen next.”
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