Jantjies to help Lions fight back

Springbok and current Stormers player Elton Jantjies will be returning to Johannesburg to play with the Golden Lions in their Super Rugby promotion/relegation matches.

It’s been confirmed that the 22-year old playmaker will play two more matches with the Stormers before returning to his former franchise to take on the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth on 26 July in Johannesburg on 2 August.

“Elton said he will return [to the Lions], but he wants to complete the Super Rugby season in Cape Town,” said Lions coach Johan Ackermann.

“The next two weekends he will still play for the Stormers, before we will see him,” he said of the Cape Town franchise’s games against the Kings in PE this coming weekend and the Bulls at Newlands a week later.

“However, he is available [to the Lions] for the promotion-relegation matches.”

The Lions coach is also confident that Jantjies will quickly adapted back into the Lions set-up ahead of the matches.

“Obviously things changed a bit in the last six or seven months that he was at the Stormers.

“However, it should not take a player of his calibre long to adjust, I think a couple of days and he will slot right in,” added Ackermann.

Ackermann also responded to the news that the Stormers and WP were looking to keep the talented youngster in Cape Town for the beyond 2013.

“If Elton [Jantjies] wants to stay, we will certainly look at retaining him,” Ackermann said about the prospect of keeping Jantjies at the Lions. “He will obviously negotiate with the various unions [Golden Lions and Western Province].

“He has always been happy here [at the Lions] and if we can retain him it will be great.

“However, that process – between him, the agent and the unions – will run its course.”

Source: Rugby365