Ikamva likaElton Jantjies lithande ukufiphala kwiqela lesizwe lombhoxo noxa kungekabikho mntu olitsolisayo. Oku kucace gca ngethuba uRassie Erasmus ebuzwa ngaye (uJantjies) emva kokungabandakanywa kwakhe kuluhlu lwabadlali beSpringbok esilungiselela utyelelo lwaseYurhophu phambi kokuphela konyaka. UJantjies, 32, wagxothwa enkampini yeMabhokobhoko ngethuba etyelele eArgentina kwinyanga ephelileyo. Kwavakala iindaba ezithi umane emunyamunyana noZeenat Simjee – oyintokazi esebenzela iSpringbok. Bobabini zange bathathelwe manyathelo yiSouth African Rugby (Saru). UJantjies akakhwetywanga nguJacques Nienaber. Kwangoko, ezingqondweni zabantu abaninzi kubekho umbuzo: kwenzeka ntoni kwikamba likaJantjies?
“Kubekho ingxelo evelileyo kwinyanga ephelileyo. Savumelanga ke noJantjies ukuba makabe ejongana nayo. Ingxaki esinayo kukuba asiyazi neyona nto eyinyaniso nengeyonyaniso,” utshilo uRassie Erasmus ethatha neentatheli ekuqaleni kweveki. Kuye kwanyanzeleka uRassie kubekho into ayithethayo ngoba ukusukela mhla kwavela iingxelo ezithi uJantjies wonwayana noSimjee, zange iphose nelimdaka ilizwi iSaru. “Kuba engekadlali ukusukela ngokuya, asikwazi ukumbiza kwiqela lesizwe. Besingathanda ukumthelekisa nabanye abadlali abaziifulayihafu – kodwa asikwazi ngoba akadlali. Akukho midlalo ayidlalayo njengabanye abadlali.
“Khange akwazi ukuba yinxalenye yeqela lesizwe elidlale neNew Zealand (kiwnyanga ephelileyo). Isizathu esibangela singamchongi kungenxa yokuba engadlali kuphela, ayikho enye into,” utshilo uErasmus. UJantjies udlalela iqela laseJapan – kodwa ukusukela mhla wavelelwa ziingxaki, akakabuyeli kulo. Kwelinye icala, uErasmus uqinisekisile ukuba uZeenat Simjee uza kuhamba neSpringbok xa sisiya eYurophu. Kungenzeka uJantjies aphoswe yitumente yahlabathi ngoba iSpringbok silungiselela ukuya kuyo ngoku. Endaweni kaJantjies kukhwetywe uDamian Willemse odlalela iStormers. Noxa esengumqheliswa kwiqela lesizwe – kodwa uNienaber uthi ukulungele ncam ukungena edyokhweni.
Lumka Oliphant: ‘Yekani utywala’