Cape Town - Golden Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies says the hard lessons learned earlier this year have moulded him into a more complete player.
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Jantjies was the hero for the Lions in their 42-16 Currie Cup final win over the Sharks after he contributed 24 points with the boot to earn the man-of-the-match award.
Jantjies showed immense composure on the big stage - boasting a 100% goal-kicking record in the final - which can only bode well for South African rugby in future.
But 2011 wasn't all plain-sailing for the 21-year-old. He struggled with his form during the Super Rugby competition, after which the Lions finished second from bottom on the overall log.
And he firmly believes the lessons he took out of that campaign have made him a better player for the future.
"The Super Rugby competition was a learning process for me, but I came out better at the other end. I probably learned the hard way, but I had the support of my coach, my team and my family," Jantjies told the Beeld newspaper.
"I corrected the mistakes from the past. The fact that we play well together as a team obviously made it better for me."
Click to BUY the Great moments in Currie Cup history DVD
Click to BUY the SA Rugby Annual 2011
Jantjies was the hero for the Lions in their 42-16 Currie Cup final win over the Sharks after he contributed 24 points with the boot to earn the man-of-the-match award.
Jantjies showed immense composure on the big stage - boasting a 100% goal-kicking record in the final - which can only bode well for South African rugby in future.
But 2011 wasn't all plain-sailing for the 21-year-old. He struggled with his form during the Super Rugby competition, after which the Lions finished second from bottom on the overall log.
And he firmly believes the lessons he took out of that campaign have made him a better player for the future.
"The Super Rugby competition was a learning process for me, but I came out better at the other end. I probably learned the hard way, but I had the support of my coach, my team and my family," Jantjies told the Beeld newspaper.
"I corrected the mistakes from the past. The fact that we play well together as a team obviously made it better for me."