Volume 3 - Week 30

Editors Note

Volume 3, Week 30

Editors Note

Brilliant! That is what happens when you take one week off from writing RF, just one week! The pawpaw hit the fan in a big way and that barely a year after the fan hit the pawpaw in Durban. Similar to that incident, SA rugby is again on the receiving end of some very unwanted publicity at a bad time of the year.

The whole Geo Cronje affair has stirred up some incredible emotions and with all respect, has tested the young democracy that is South Africa. The sequence of events; the player was removed from the Springbok squad under a cloud of racism allegations. An investigation was held after his removal and subsequently he was exonerated of transgressing the code of conduct. The RWC squad was selected, both players omitted and then Mark Keohane, communications manager of the Springboks resigned with some more allegations.

The incidents have left a stink; there are more questions left unanswered than before the original investigation and a new independent commission under retired judge Edwin King was appointed to investigate alleged prejudice in Springbok rugby. The results could be far reaching in the echelons of Springbok management, as they effectively become the focus of the man who investigated the “other” Cronje affair a few years ago.

What to make of all this? A very difficult question, SARFU and Pty (Ltd) was between a rock and a hard place so the original decision based on “facts” received from the Springbok management was acted upon correctly. Not apologizing to the player as many political parties and sundry did afterwards smacks of little appreciation for the welfare and image of one of their employees. Geo has a right to be peeved and very peeved I would be if left out of a RWC opportunity that may only arrive once in a li fetime at the current attrition rate of players in this country, not to mention the matter of a few missing rands…

The Springbok management, is beginning to look the worse from the whole incident and visions of Woodward and Bernstein must be haunting the men in charge. It will make very little sense to fire anybody at this stage however the gauntlet was thrown down with the player’s immediate suspension and should be persisted with, as Orwell wrote some time ago about all pigs in the farmyard are created equal…

The whole affair has thrown a large shadow over the actual selection of the Springbok RWC squad (conspiracy theorists may jump to the some conclusions here) as very little has been written or mentioned about the team. Firstly, the players who missed out apart from those injured; Brent Russell – you’ve got to feel for the brilliant and exciting young player who “lost” it against NZ in Pretoria and although not publicly criticized by his coach, was subsequently left out in the cold and lets hope this is not another Gaffie story… Jaco van der Westhuisen, also very unlucky but he was hardly a fir st choice over the past year or so like Russell… Lukas van Biljon, a mate’s birthday probably cost him about half a mil… Pedrie Wannenberg, the selectors forgot very quickly who performed with guts and passion for the Springbok cause on a very difficult tour last year in Europe…

The lucky ones; Schalk Burger, RF predicted a bright future for the man in the previous issue but his rise is meteoric and maybe a bit premature… Derick Hougaard, a good selection, the young man is a “voetballer” as Doc said and no lesser an expert than Jan Boland Coetzee insisted on the merits of the boy he watched growing up in an interview with this writer in the beginning of the year… Jaque Fourie, brilliant during the Super 12 but with hardly game time behind him can be considered lucky although he will rise to the occasion… Danie Rossouw, the bit he played in the Currie Cup before being suspended for foul play he was good, very good but definitely a benefactor of the politics but will definitely not be a weak link.

The ones that should have stayed behind; Stefan Terblanche, consistently a mediocre performer this season his place should have gone to Russell… Joost, maybe an old boy pact was made but the truth is, it will be RWC no 3 and one too many because the chances that he will emulate Tim Horan as player of the tournament is less than yours truly to go on a date with Kylie (Go Joost!)… Thinus Delport, not the investment the management thought he would be and similar to what happens with a bad investment - you have to hold on to the shares in hope they increase in value, just do not tell your mates…

All in all, as Naas said and this armchair critic roundly agrees, the squad is there and as a South African we will support it and wish the team all the best and maybe part with the following advice from Liz Taylor, "Success is a great deodorant. It takes away all your past smells."

Have a great week and hopefully next week we can chat about something trivial like the new aerodynamic jumpers, England vs France and the World Cup… we hope!

Lucas

Ps: See the letter section for a free Excel RWC planner download.

lucas@rugbyforum.co.za

Visit www.rugbyforum.co.za for statistics, all the quotes and an archive of previous issues

How to Kill a Springbok by Desmond Organ

If the Springbok management team thought that there was a way to avert the “racial crisis” that has hit the team then I would like to know what it is. Perhaps the simplest of beginnings to the future morale of the team is now a critical component. I would personally supply all the team members with a copy of the Harper Lee classic; “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

This might seem to be a case of a writer putting fire to combustible material but in reality it is possibly one of the only ways to get people to realise that prejudice is something that can never be tolerated and should be rejected in any manner or form. On the other hand there is the need for the simple recognition that all people are prejudiced in one form or another, becoming aware of it and managing it is part of the process of reaching consensus and understanding that it’s very existence is part of the make up of modern society.

That these events should unfold so close to the World Cup is a tragedy in itself that it has happened to the Springboks is hardly surprising. It is hardly a month since we were the thugs of the rugby world and now we could quite easily become the so- called racists of the rugby world. That there are countless people in South Africa that are prejudiced is not the issue, the fact is that we are dealing with it in a manner which in many ways far exceeds the attempts of many other nations. South Africa has a political and demographic make up that will ensure the transformation of the game, the way this is carried out will in many ways determine the future of the game of rugby.

How it is possible that a story should be leaked to the media is not something that I shall waste my time in considering, it was such a potentially damaging one that whoever made a decision to withhold the information in the first place was really not up to date with modern management techniques. If there is a management decision making process it surely must identify those issues which are considered show stoppers and this is one of them. Political expedience aside, somebody has become a scapegoat and this is not something new. Resigning in charismatic fashion might be exciting but it is often a case of shooting yourself in the foot.

The decision by the Executive arm of SA Rugby to remove the suspected player from the camp was quite correct, the manner in which it was handled has left a thousand unanswered questions, nothing like a dose of supposed reverse prejudice to get the water boiling. Anybody who has worked; or works in South Africa knows that affirmative action is part of the society, debates into the merits of the process are continuous, but accepting it as a reality is more important. Nobody likes to be told that they are racist and whoever makes the accusation must be absolutely convinced that this is the case. People are prejudiced but it is a whole different ball game to throw the race card.

In the absence of sufficient evidence for and against such an accusation, the worst possible thing that you can do is not take action. That will only serve to oil the massive propaganda machines that lurk around every corner looking for a story that advances their purpose. Rian Oberholzer made the right decision in removing a player embroiled in accusations of racism from the camp. As hard as it may seem it is the best thing to do in such a situation, that it has potentially destroyed a career is n ot something that should go unnoticed. In reality there was not much else that could have been done. The protagonists of reverse discrimination will attempt to denounce such a step but that is the way it is.

Let’s face it; taking the decision to change one’s room allocation is not the brightest thing that has been done in the last week, doing it in a context of a national training camp where representation has been a focal point is like committing suicide. The decision of the investigation team and the subsequent resignation of Mark Keohane have all the hall marks of mass capitulation. What will be the next step, the removal of the executive leadership and its replacement with a group that are effectively yes men to the politicians?

For the sake of South African rugby it would not be a good thing if the politicians undermine the current executive, this would surely take away any focus on their performance over the last several years and turn us back from the direction that we need to be going. What is alarming though is the frequency with which such interventions are being encouraged; first there was the changing of the cricket team for a test against Australia, followed by the questionable drinking habits of an administrator and now finally the potential throwing of the rugby race card. It seems as if the best way to cloud an issue in South Africa is to publicly raise the colour banner.

Resigning in protest is a bold step and should never be underestimated, the person who undertakes such a course of action must know that however righteous their argument, they will more often than not be remembered for the impact of such a decision rather than the merits of their argument.

Currie Cup Team Week 5

Position	Name	Team
15	Henno Mentz	Sharks
14	John Daniels	Lions
13	Robbie Fleck	WP
12	Joos Joubert	WP
11	Marius Schoeman	Pumas
10	Nel Fourie	Lions
9	Boela Conradie	WP
8	Pietie Ferreira	WP
7	Gerhard Vosloo	Pumas
6	Solly Tyibilika	Sharks
5	Philip Smit	Sharks
4	Matt Frank	Bulls
3	Brendan Botha	Sharks
2	Gary Botha	Blue Bulls
1	Eduard Coetzee	Sharks

Currie Cup Team Week 6

Position	Name	Team
15	Justin Swart	Sharks
14	Egon Seconds	WP
13	Rudi Coetzee	Lions
12	Jean De Villiers	WP
11	Marius Schoeman	Pumas
10	Butch James	Sharks
9	Neil Powell	Cheetahs
8	Philip van Schalkwyk	Griquas
7	Gerrie Britz	Cheetahs
6	Luke Watson	Sharks
5	Bruce Cumming	Griquas
4	Johan Ackerman	Griquas
3	Pat Barnard	WP
2	Lukas van Biljon	Sharks
1	Morne van der Merwe	WP

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All Black World Cup Squad Vinesh Naicker

The All Black squad for the World Cup was announced last week and there were not nearly as many surprises as there were in the Springbok team. All of the players that were in the Tri-Nations squad were reselected, which left spots for four more players.

Mitchell chose to pick conservatively, with three hookers and three halfbacks. Byron Kelleher got the third halfback position, which not too many people would have complained about. The big surprise was Corey Flynn as the third hooker. Flynn injured himself in the Super 12 warm up games and hasn’t been on the park since. If Mitchell’s reason for not selecting Mehrtens is his lack of game time and fitness, then Flynn’s selection makes a mockery of that.

The other bolter was Daniel Braid. Braid is a great open side flanker but the surprising thing about his selection was the choice of a third number 7 instead of a fourth lock. The All Black line out has been a bit inconsistent all season and the steadiness of Simon Maling could have been a significant advantage in the World Cup.

Ben Blair was the fourth player; his selection over Mehrtens is a bit of a puzzler. The only reason he would be in the squad is for his goal kicking and Mehrtens has greater accuracy and distance in that regard than Blair does. The All Blacks don’t need another fullback with Mulaiana, MacDonald and Howlett all capable of playing there. I’ve watched Canterbury, and Blair especially, play over the NPC and whenever a try has been scored by the opposition Blair isn’t even in the camera frame. Either his positional sense sucks or he spends too much time in the backline looking for attacking opportunities. In my view he lacks genuine pace and so isn’t an adequate wing reserve, even Ralph could probably beat him in a sprint.

This leads to the ongoing puzzle of Caleb Ralph, at least for everyone not living in Canterbury. By way of explanation a journalist in NZ wrote that Ralph must wash Mitchell’s car a lot. Ralph is there to cover wing and centre which Cullen can and has done for the All Blacks. Ralph does not have the ability to beat international opposition in a one on one situation and I cannot see how he is superior to Cullen in any way. The only reason Mitchell would prefer Ralph would seem to be that either he is a much bigger contributor to the team environment (see the washing cars comment above) or because Cullen stated after the last World Cup, due to Harts insane selection of Wilson at fullback, that he would only play fullback in future.

Ah well, Mitchell’s team did bring home the Bledisloe Cup this year so I have to have faith that he knows what he is doing.

Many people have commented that the selection of this All Black squad has brought down the curtain on the careers of five great All Blacks, I beg to differ.

Mehrtens is the All Blacks record point scorer, by that fact alone a great All Black. The reason he attained that distinction is that he is a great distributor, an even better kicker, and allied to this he has a deceptive turn of speed.

Cullen may have lost a bit of pace since his knee injury, and defences having worked him out, but in 1996 and 1997 he was the best fullback in the world. He was almost guaranteed to beat the first defender when he set off on one of his trademark runs. The fact that he is the All Blacks record try scorer stands as testament to his place among the great All Blacks.

Jonah Lomu has been a giant on the world rugby scene. He was the face of the 1995 World Cup and, whenever he got the ball in space, crowds rose in anticipation. He scored tries that no other rugby player could have, and the fact that he did all this while suffering a debilitating kidney ailment is just another part of his legend.

By comparison to them the demise of Oliver and Randell is almost a relief. These two men are to be commended for their loyalty to NZ rugby but realistically their contribution to All Black rugby has been as place holders. Oliver has been holding down the hooking role since Fitzpatrick retired injured. The dearth of world class hookers in NZ meant that he was able to keep his place, despite still not being able to throw accurately into a lineout after 5 years of international practice. My most viv id memory of Oliver is of his decision, as captain, to forego a penalty shot after the final whistle in a Tri-Nations game. It would have earned the team a bonus point for finishing within 7 points. Instead he chose to tap and run the ball in the hope of getting an 8 point try and winning the game. The All Blacks failed to score and left the game with nothing.

Taine Randell took over as number 8 after Zinzan Brooke retired, but once again as a place holder. He never cemented a spot due to his lack of go forward and drifted between number six and eight. He remained in the team as captain under John Hart but earned the name Captain Invisible at the 1999 World Cup as a reflection of his contribution to the game when under pressure.

So although it is sad to see what seems to be the end of three great All Black careers, at least we know that their non-selection means the current All Black team is strong.

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Quotes

I'm just shattered, it will take some time to get over. You know, when you're in the 22 for almost every game, then how come you're not good enough suddenly?      Craig Davidson on his omission from the RWC

With many players I had nothing in common but we believed in the same thing on the rugby field and that made all the difference.     Bob Skinstad

I made the mistake of playing a round (golf) with Tim, my agent, and when I missed a shot I got annoyed with myself and had to hit around 15 (shots) before I was happy enough to move on.     Jonny Wilkinson

We have been made aware of allegations that Lukas (van Biljon) was involved in a fracas. He has been removed from the training camp pending an investigation into the allegations.     Rian Oberholzer

Geo Cronje axed over racism row.

Our position is a simple one that is dealt with in the South African Rugby constitution. We have zero tolerance for racism in rugby and feel very strongly about this issue. We will remove the player from the camp, the allegations will be investigated to establish whether we should have a judicial hearing and,
if necessary, the player will be offered counseling.      Rian Oberholzer

The management of SARFU hardly covered themselves in glory with their handling of the crisis. By omitting Cronjé from the Bok training camp they lend unnecessary impetus to the allegations, which now seem to be
infamous lies. The rule is: investigate first, then act. Not the other way round.     Tim Du Plessis, editor of Rapport (translated from Afrikaans)

We need to find out who the source of these allegations was, now that they have been proven untrue,
and the person who has brought SA Rugby's name into disrepute will need to say why these allegations
were made.      Fanie Vermaak, board member of SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd.

I am back at the Blue Bulls where I would like to focus all my time and energy on my rugby. That is
all that's important to me at this stage. Rugby has always been my passion and any opportunity to represent my country or my province is an honour.       Geo Cronje

Davids and Geo Lieth ?      El Giornalista on the "Cronjegate" affair

My decision to resign is a moral one as I can no longer be part of a squad in which prejudice is tolerated, wished away and excused.     Mark Keohane, ex-communications manager of the Springboks

Club rugby is dying. Stadium numbers are down. We've got to ask ourselves why. Like it or not, the professional era has had a negative impact. We've got to get a model in place to ensure we get back on
track.      Brian van Rooyen, candidate for SARFU president

He is as entitled as any captain to ask a reasonable question.     John O'Neill on George Gregan

Join the SARUGBY news and discussion group for the fastest sarugby news and the most intense debates around the South African game. Send a blank email to sarugby-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Letters to the Editor

Hi Lucas

I'm writing you this email to mention I just published a free Excel spreadsheet, RWC2003 PLANNER.

I think this info could be of some interest to your readers as there's no similar file available yet on the web.

Functionalities include :
- Full updated program, displayed in both local and Paris and London time.
- Automatic pool ranking, management of newly introduced bonus points in pool matches.
- Full RWC stats since 1997
- RESULTS OF ALL 2003 INTERNATIONAL MATCHES (Tri-nations, 6-nations, Pan-Am championship, test matches) as of Sept 1st.
- Allows match result guess competition, point allocation may be customized.

FOR MORE INFO AND FREE DOWNLOAD :
http://www.ifrance.com/sailingcafe/rwcp2003.htm

Thanks !
Greg
Paris, France

Hi Lucas

Have a look at this website. And I thought the SA Press can be hard (and deservedly so this year) on the Bokke. They are mere amateurs against the Ozzie press.

http://members.hn.ozemail.com.au/gerardandkim/

I was amazed a few weeks ago, when I read that Bob The Hype Skinstad had problems finding a province to play for. It had been alleged that his fee was too high and no province prepared to pay it. If true, this must be one of the root problems of SA rugby.....the attitude of its top players. Surely there must be 1000's of SA'ns who would play for free if that is what is required to get a Bok call-up. A wee bit more time on the field playing the game and less in front of cameras or behind the wheels of luxury 4WD's.

There was a day when only the best players donned the green and gold and then it was a great honour to do so. And then Rob Kempson.... surely even Rudolf Straeuli must realise here is a red card waiting for a time and place to happen.

Regards from Downunder

Jakes Jacobson
Ex-matelot from Simonstown

Hi Lucas

It's time, folks! Here's my squad selection:

15 Jaco van der Westhuyzen
14 Breyton Paulse
13 Marius Joubert; Etienne Botha
12 De Wet Barry; Gcobani Bobo
11 Ashwin Willemse; Pieter Rossouw
10 Louis Koen; Derick Hougaard
9 Joost van der Westhuizen; Bolla Conradie
8 Juan Smith; Bob Skinstad
7 Joe van Niekerk; Pedrie Wannenburg
6 Corné Krige (k); Schalk Burger
5 Victor Matfield
4 Geo Cronjé; Bakkies Botha
3 Richard Bands; Faan Rautenbach
2 Danie Coetzee
1 Lawrence Sephaka; Christo Bezuidenhout
Utility backs: André Pretorius; Brent Russell
Utility forwards: John Smit; Kleinjan Tromp

Some of the selections still carry injuries and will hopefully recover fully come October. On my standby list would be Ricardo Loubscher (for Jaco van der Westhuyzen), Robbie Fleck (for Marius Joubert), Shawn Sowerby (for Bob Skinstad), CJ van der Linde (for Faan Rautenbach), Werner Greeff (for Pretorius and Russell).

COLIN VAN RENSBURG

Hi Lucas

Perhaps I should be filled with elation at the Sharks victory over the Bulls, but in truth our A- team was playing their C team, so kissing one's sister comes to mind!

Best comment of the game came from Ref Andre Watson. An additional ball was thrown onto the field at a re-start; our erstwhile Andre immediately and correctly blew his whistle to halt any play, then shouted: 'I've got two balls!' I couldn't watch the Sharks miss the next seven tackles as I was on the floor screaming with laughter. Please thank Andre for the moment of absolute pleasure in a dismal rugby year.

There is one blessing in our not having a brilliant, Johnny Wilkinson type flyhalf at the moment. With Joost there as Straeuli's favoured No.9 the poor bugger would be slaughtered by loosies taking advantage of the hospital passes.

Regards, Storm Ferguson

Hi Lucas

Good heavens, pick an International rugby side to represent their country with pride and make their supporters think they stand a very good chance at the BIGGEST rugby competition ever with a bunch of injured player; Greef, Skinstad, Hougaard, Pretorius, Russel, Kempson, who did I forget, the list just never seems to stops?

Guys, all I'm saying is that if these guys get selected being half injured than surely there are young guns out there (U/21)despite their inexperience that might be able to do the same job if not better as a half injured player? Why take the risk with half injured players for a start put huge pressure on the ones that's fit, to such a huge competition? Then roedolf sends back from the training camp Du Preez and Co?

I honestly belief that Roedolf's so-called "plan" is just a huge dream? Also that he has no clue who the team is going to be comes Saturday? This is really looking bad and we are going to look like a 3rd world country's side. Why don't we just ask Zimbabwe to quickly put a FIT injury free side together to send on our behalf because as sure as sh*t they will do better the way things are panning out?

I'd much rather pick young U/21's fit and strong maybe inexperienced than these half cripple bunch, that's for sure! I belief these cripples will get selected come what may but then Rudolf and Co must not forget to take crutches for these guys ok? Prove me wrong please! I beg you prove me wrong?

Nee o d*nner ek gee nou wragtag op. Ek probeer so hard moed hou en glo dat ons tenminste die Q/F gaan haal, maar die d*nner weet, dit lyk my "sommige" weet nie mooi waar die "bel" hang nie, nevermind die klok?
Kan enige een op hierdie forum my asseblief moed inpraat? Onthou net, jy sal wragtag goed moet wees om hierdie boerklong moed in te praat wanneer dit by die Springbokke kom? Hoe kan jy 'n oorlog aandurf met half siek soldate en dit terwyl die soldate hulself se hulle is siek? Antwoord my net dit ASSEBLIEF?

Dis so te se 'n maand weg voordat die kompetitise begin en ons top nog oor krippel spelers? Wanneer gaan ons dan begin oefen en ons kombinasies regkry of glo ons nie daaraan nie? Ek wil so graag nog praat maar is selfs hiervoor stom agv hierdie sirkus? Bye! "Waar die kranse bloody antwoord gee" kry ek ten minste antwoord? Wat
'n blo-ody sirkus is die Bokkamp?

Vertel my net! Wanneer laas het ons 'n Springbok agterlyn gesien wat net 'n gewone agterlyn beweging behoorlik uit voer nevermind een beplande beweeging, met die doel om die opposisie te probeer uitoorle, iets soos 'n sker (berge bedek ons indien hulle dit probeer!) behoorlik sien uitvoer?

Frans

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