Rugby revs the ether

Rugby’s ability to generate grist for the news mill will never cease to be amazing.

Toying with ideas to write a new column during the last few days it was amazing how one’s thoughts kept being swept away or in new directions by the torrent of newsworthy issues gushing from all quarters.

Any thought that one might be able to dwell on the Bulls’ hat-trick of Currie Cup victories was blown away within minutes when we made our way down into the bowels of Loftus to hear Brian van Rooyen announce the Springbok touring team.

It contained a few surprises but, given the venue, the bolts were not from the blue. No Gary Botha; no Ettienne Botha. A bolter from Boland and players unexpectedly called back from injury.

SA Rugby officials were surprised that the Press were surprised. They should have seen the reaction of fans who knocked on the Press box window trying to find out what the team was!

The make-up of the team was certainly unexpected but what was perhaps more amazing is how genuine surprise was equated to racism – SA Rugby CEO Mveleli Ncula even going so far as to issue a statement in which he attacked, in particular, the “electronic” media for their reaction to the team.

“It is sheer opportunism and bigotry that some of our compatriots want to enjoy the fruits of our new democracy, and yet refuse to accept that black players can just be as excellent as their white counterparts. Such racist tendencies should be exposed,” raged Ncula and, by a somewhat strange arabesque of logic, even managed to bring the country’s reverence for former president Nelson Mandela into the argument.

Across the seas New Zealand were also naming a touring team and there were also surprises as Graham Henry, displaying his concern over the maturity of his All Blacks, decided to blood eight players while standing down some stalwarts.

What was interesting is how the naming of these two teams illustrated the difference in attitudes and aspirations between the two countries with Justin Marshall commenting, "deep down in my stomach, I feel an All Blacks jersey is earned and not given. To earn it you have to put in the performances and earn the right to play rather than just be given it and seeing whether or not you can do it," and attracting no censure.

The Springbok team became the story of a week that produced much more that was newsworthy with Jake White, also upset at the reaction to his team, for once missing a stepping stone across the treacherous waters he is forced to negotiate by revealing that Fourie du Preez had been injured in the Currie Cup final and seeming to aim a barb at Blue Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer by saying: "Fourie hurt himself playing 80 minutes of rugby when there was one scrumhalf left in South Africa and his team were 42-19 up. You have to ask how genuine some people are about putting the country first.”

Once again the media got it wrong with White releasing a statement in which he “refuted media reports on Tuesday that he allegedly attacked Mobil Blue Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer,” “I want to state on record that I never attacked Heyneke. Heyneke has always been supportive of me and has helped me with the Springboks. I had a lengthy, friendly chat to him this morning, and I explained to him, amongst others, the reason why I voiced my concern that with only one scrumhalf, Du Preez was let to play the full 80 minutes of the final.”

“He understands my view and particularly the context within which I made those comments,” said White.

Clear as mud then; must have been someone else who caused Du Preez to stay on the field for 80 minutes!

And, as they say in those infomercials, there was more.

Some items, such the elevation of arch powerbroker Andre Markgraaff to vice-president of SA Rugby and Gary Botha withdrawing from the SA ‘A’ side to tour Argentina raised intriguing questions that in all likelihood will soon become other dispatches flickering off laptop screens.

Markgraaff certainly now looks to be a very powerful figure; vice-president, head of selectors and head of the technical committee. Does that mean he will be collecting three salaries or will he relinquish some of the positions? Time will tell.

And Gary Botha? This is not the first time he has elected not to accept what for a player of his quality is a second prize and a little bird has whispered that the rugged hooker might be making sure that he does nothing to disturb his uncapped status; just in case there is a chance that he might emulate the like of Tiaan Strauss, Daniel Vickerman and Clyde Rathbone by finding a way to play test rugby for Australia. And if this were to be the case can you blame him?

In the same week André Pretorius decided to spurn an approach from Western Province to stay with the Lions and Uli Schmidt quit before he started as coach of the Falcons; confirming the general view at the time of his appointment that Naas Botha’s installation as director of coaching with the good doctor as the actual hands-on head coach was no more than an exercise in face-saving by the Red Devils as they had been strung along by the ultimate Blue Bull.

Ashwin Willemse was a surprise (there’s that word again!) inclusion in the test team to take on Wales having not played in a single match since early June, John Smit’s ankle injury at a practice was overstated by radio jocks unaccustomed to watching training sessions and there was a flurry of activity and the naming of squads from the Springboks’ forthcoming opponents Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland.

Oh yes, Rudy Joubert’s SA ‘A’ squad gathered in Johannesburg, a fact drowned in the flurry of other, more important information, Sasol succeeded Castle Lager as the name on South Africa’s famous green-and-gold jersey and SA Rugby and Sarpa (the players’ association) announced that they had reached accord in their protracted discussions.

Just another week in rugby. Here’s hoping that over the next four weeks this particular laptop will be utilised in writing exclusively “about the game” and that the dispatches e-mailed from the UK and Ireland will be of fine heroes, great deeds and famous victories.