Nick Mallett believes Rassie Erasmus’ decision to select Herschel Jantjies ahead of Embrose Papier has less to do with individual brilliance and more with what the Springboks need as a team.
Papier was released to the Vodacom Bulls for their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry clash against the All Blacks after missing out on Erasmus’ 43-man squad for the one-off Test against Argentina and the four-Test series against New Zealand.
Jantjies, meanwhile, retained his place alongside Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach and Morné van den Berg.
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According to Mallett, the answer lies not in raw talent, but in how quickly a scrumhalf can ignite the Bok attack.
“I think it’s more the speed to the breakdown and the speed with which the ball is cleared,” Mallett said on the Talking Boks podcast.
“It was really noticeable when Herschel Jantjies came on how quickly he got to the breakdown. The ball was away almost immediately.”
Mallett pointed to the recent Test against Wales, where he felt Jantjies immediately lifted the tempo after replacing Reinach.
“I think Manie Libbok was on at the same time, but the rhythm of our ruck improved significantly,” he said.
“The speed of our ruck increased and the rhythm of our backline improved because of the speed with which Herschel got to the ball.
“He’s almost the second player to the breakdown. There’s the tackler, someone trying to counter-ruck or protect the ball, and then Herschel is already there with his hands on it, getting it away and trying to attack before the opposition can set their defence.”
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Mallett believes that could explain one of Erasmus’ recent comments about wanting scrumhalves with “wheels”.
“I’ve got a feeling that’s what Rassie means by needing ‘wheels’ – the pace to the breakdown rather than simply pace with the ball in hand.”
The former Bok coach also highlighted Jantjies’ temperament as another reason he remains highly regarded within the national setup.
“Herschel also has a very calm head,” he said.
“He’s been a leader before and he’s comfortable in both the Springbok and Stormers environments. He’s the sort of player who’ll come off the bench and never panic.”
While Mallett praised Papier’s individual ability, he suggested the Bulls scrumhalf may not fit the Springboks’ game as seamlessly as his rivals.
“I still think the coaches probably feel that Embrose Papier is an individually very talented player, but collectively, in terms of how he combines with the rest of the team, he’s maybe just a little bit off the pace compared to the other scrumhalves.”
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Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post Mallett explains Herschel over Embrose appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Nick Mallett believes Rassie Erasmus’ decision to select Herschel Jantjies ahead of Embrose Papier has less to do with individual brilliance and more with what the Springboks need as a team.
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