Jantjes a rare talent with any ball

By WYNNE GRAY

As a sports-mad teenager, Conrad Jantjes lined the walls of his bedroom with posters of his rugby idols.

Most of those pictures have now been removed, the youngster's hero-worship has been overtaken by his own deeds on the rugby fields. Every time the new Springbok fullback played against one of the poster-pinups, that image was removed from the bedroom sporting shrine.

A few remain however, posters of some like Chester Williams who will always be a role model for Jantjes as both made their way as coloured sportsmen in South Africa. Even if Jantjes had played against Serge Blanco, his poster would have remained. If the 21-year-old could emulate anyone it would be the style of the famous French fullback or - he adds mischievously now he is in New Zealand - someone with the skill of Christian Cullen.

Jantjes is obviously someone of considerable sporting talent.

As a midfielder, he was offered a soccer trial with Chelsea when he was about 13 but turned down the chance because his mother did not want him to travel overseas. Later he represented South Africa at under 20 and under 17 levels.

He played first-class cricket at 16, for SA under-19 as a middle order batsman and bowler and still yearns to play for his country, but it was with rugby that he made his greatest progress.

"Things happened for me much quicker with rugby," he explained yesterday as he settled in with the Springboks preparing for Saturday's test with the All Blacks.

He was part of the SA under-21 side which won the Sanzar tournament in 1999, he was a star in the Currie Cup last season and was then spotted by coach Harry Viljoen for the Springboks.

Jantjes had little action for the Cats in the Super 12 competition this year. Three bit-parts as a substitute was his total game time, coach Laurie Mains preferring Thinus Delport to Jantjes as fullback.

"He was entitled to his opinion," Jantjes said yesterday of Mains. In SA he was much more forthright,. explaining he would never invite Mains to a brai and thought about jumping in his car and following Mains to the airport to make sure he left the country.

At one stage of the Super 12, Jantjes was disenchanted enough to consider transferring to the Bulls. However with his main aim of making the 2003 World Cup he chose to stay with the Cats before Viljoen picked him for the training camp. The progress continued with Jantjes picked to make his test debut against Italy, a decision he said left him "very pale" on the morning of the match.

Twin tests against the Wallabies have shown his potential and will be some of the rare video footage the All Blacks can use in their planning for the young fullback.

He still dreams of rivalling Jeff Wilson and representing South Africa at cricket and rugby. So would he prefer to face Brett Lee or Jonah Lomu?

"At cricket you are not expecting the ball to hit you at 100 mph," was his ambiguous response.