There will be an improbable Welsh link to the Rugby Championship opener between South Africa and Australia this weekend, with a player who once made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance for the Scarlets named in the Springboks’ starting XV for the encounter in Johannesburg.
Herschel Jantjies featured for the West Walians against the Cheetahs in a loan deal from the Stormers in 2017.
The Scarlets had been hit by issues at scrum-half while in South Africa, with Gareth Davies and Aled Davies on Wales duty and Jonathan Evans injured and Declan Smith also off limits.
Mike Phillips had come out of retirement to help his old region and he started the match against the Cheetahs.
But they still needed bench cover and so turned to Stormers youngster Jantjies.
The then 21-year-old took the field in the final quarter as the Scarlets fell 28-21 in Bloemfontein.
He has made a big impression this season, shining in Super Rugby to such an extent that Aaron Smith posed arm-in-arm for a picture with him after the encounter between the Stormers and Highlanders at Newlands.
Smith posted the shot on social media in a gesture that gave a nod to how much he had enjoyed playing against Jantjies, acknowledging the South African’s performance with the caption ‘Little men do big things’.
Faf de Klerk is still seen as the likely Springbok first-choice No. 9 for the World Cup.
But the 5ft 6in, 11st 9lb ball of energy that is Jantjies is being seen as a live candidate to make the squad, with observers acclaiming his terrier-like qualities in defence, his fast pass, sharp support running and willingness to take on opponents.
“He has the potential to become one of the great scrum-halves in our country,” said South Africa assistant coach Mzwandile Stick.
