Weak Boks for Tri Nations away leg (Updated)

A weak Springbok squad including the likes of the formidable Eddie Andrews, Tonderai Chavhanga and Bolla Conradie was announced for the away leg of the Tri Nations. A surprise inclusion is Cobus Visagie.

Springbok Squad:

Backs
Tonderai Chavhanga, Michael Claassens, Bolla Conradie, Bevin Fortuin, Peter Grant, Derick Hougaard, Wayne Julies, Waylon Murray, Wynand Olivier, Breyton Paulse, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Jaco Pretorius

Forwards
Johan Ackermann, Eddie Andrews, Gary Botha, CJ van der Linde, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Hilton Lobberts, Johann Muller, Bob Skinstad, Albert van den Berg, Wikus van Heerden, Jacques Cronje, Cobus Visagie, Pedrie Wannenburg, Kabamba Floors

ARU chairperson Peter McGrath is livid that the Boks are sending a second-string side down under.

“We had previously sought, and received, an assurance that they would be sending their best available Test team. We recognise that the rugby public has purchased tickets for this match in good faith and would feel betrayed by this decision by the South Africans. The ARU understands their outrage.

“We are seeking an urgent meeting of SANZAR to overturn this decision. The agreement between us clearly calls for each nation to field its best team and with SARU’s decision this is clearly not the case.

“On behalf of the fans, those people who in good faith bought tickets to the Wallabies’ Test against South Africa, we will pursue this issue and seek to get the decision reversed. It may be a Rugby World Cup year and the Springboks may have played five Tests in a row but we face the same situation. We all knew the Test schedule well in advance, we all knew about the Rugby World Cup.

“South Africa needs to look to a future beyond the World Cup and address these concerns urgently.”

Jock Hobbs, chairman of the NZRU also expressed his concern.

“I am both surprised and very disappointed. We’d like to better understand why assurances were given that a full strength side was coming and why one is not.”

“There are some requirements set out in contract form but it’s not entirely straightforward. South Africa expressed some concern about what New Zealand did around its conditioning programme through the Super 14 which again makes it all the more surprising now they’ve named the side they have.

“It’s a huge concern, a major issue. We’re talking about the integrity and meaningfulness of international rugby. It’s critical, it’s the very heart and soul of our game. It’ll certainly ruffle a few feathers and test the (Sanzar) relationship. Overall the relationship, even through some dark times, has remained strong and pretty robust but this has given it a bit of a rattle.”

SARU managing director Jonathan Stones stated they their Sanzar partners’ concerns had been noted.

“SA Rugby wants to reiterate and support the concerns raised by the Springbok coach Jake White, after the match on Saturday in Durban against the All Blacks,” said Stones.

“Our guys have been playing week in week out since February and it has now caught up with them,” said Jake White,

SARU roped in Professor Tim Noakes to try an get their message through.

“Our players have been playing high impact rugby non-stop since February. The majority played an extra semi-final and a demanding Super 14 Final, while the bulk of them joined the Springboks straight afterwards.

“It would have been irresponsible not to advise the coach to introduce a period of rest so that the injured can be treated and others recover, if he wanted these players to perform a meaningful role at the World Cup,” explained Noakes.

Stones went on to say that “Based on medical, conditioning and scientific reports, SA Rugby therefore had no option other than to intervene in such a drastic manner. We are satisfied that the squad of 28 players represents the best available selection, boasting a number of players with substantial international experience.

“SA Rugby is confident that they have the ability to deliver quality performances against the Wallabies and New Zealand.”

In further developments, two replacements were announced to the Tri-Nations squad after Luke Watson was ruled out by injury and AJ Venter retired from international rugby.

Jacques Cronjé, who last played for the Springboks in their defeat to England last year at Twickenham, and Kabamba Floors, who gained his sole national cap in the Boks’ return defeat of England the following weekend, have been called up for Venter and Watson respectively.