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Johannesburg - Springbok youngster Elton Jantjies’s management have come to his defence after a report in a Sunday newspaper linking him to a night of indiscipline when the Boks were in Wales last year.
Jantjies was named as being part of a group of management and players who were reprimanded by Springbok management for breaching team protocol before the game against Wales.
But in a statement the flyhalf’s management say there are no truth in the allegations, and Jantjies was never involved in the incident mentioned in the newspaper.
The incident was named by the newspaper Rapport as the reason why Springbok scrum coach Os du Randt’s contract was not renewed this week. According to the report, Bok assistant coach Dick Muir and kicking coach Percy Montgomery were also reprimanded along with Jantjies.
But the statement, issued by Jantjies's agent James Adams, denies any wrongdoing for the young flyhalf.
“Elton Jantjies profusely denies the allegations as reported in one of the Sunday newspapers. The comments made by an uninformed journalist are appalling that they have gone so far as to brand the youngster in a bad light,” Adams said.
"He (Jantjies) was not drunk and opted of his own accord to head home just after midnight," Adams continued in his statement.
According to Jantjies's management the true facts are as follows:
1) Elton was out with friends and was not out with the Springbok management. The Springbok management just so happened to turn up at the same venue later that evening.
2) He was not drunk and opted of his own accord to head home just after midnight.
3) He was not playing the next day and therefore did not breach any team protocol.
4) He was rightfully not reprimanded in any form by any officials from SARU and had no role whatsoever to play in certain instances that apparently happened that evening.
Jantjies is under pressure after his Lions team suffered their third defeat in this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby competition, and according to Adams, the young star does not need these allegations at a time where he should be concentrating on rugby.
“Elton is a promising and focused player and for a newspaper to drag a young player through the mud with no facts is uncalled for. Elton is not a big party guy. He is one of the hardest working players and does a lot of extra work on his own outside of his everyday team training.”
“He is a true professional and respects the rules and procedures put in place by both the Springbok and Lions management at all times.”
