Rants and Raves – Kitshoff the shining star of Newlands

Steven Kitshoff is my rave of the weekend, while Elton Jantjies, unfortunately, showed that he is not capable as a Springbok fly half. My Rants and Raves for Independent Media’s IOL.

TOP RAVE

Steven Kitshoff’s star shone brightest among the Springboks at a miserable, wet and awful Newlands. The Boks, as a collective, weren’t at the races. The series was secured and the Boks’ inability to back up the winning of the series with a whitewash result highlighted the work mentally that still has to be done with this group of players.

The exception is Kitshoff. He is the most explosive loosehead prop in world rugby and there isn’t another prop who makes such an immediate impact when introduced to the game. The moment Kitshoff came on there was a lift in intensity, especially around the fringes of the breakdown. Unfortunately, Kitshoff was the exception among the Boks

TOP RANT

There is no kind way of putting it: Elton Jantjies isn’t good enough to play for the Boks.

Twice he dropped the ball, once from a pass and once from a kick, and from the resultant scrum England won penalties and converted them into six points. They also scored from Jantjies’ charged down kick. Jantjies also missed with his first penalty. Jantjies, in Super Rugby, struts. In Test rugby he staggers and stumbles.

The Boks, with him at No 10, will not win the World Cup. Likeable and loved, he was lost at Newlands in every sense of the word.

Read my other rants and raves from this past weekend, on the All Blacks, Newlands stadium and more.