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'Icy' welcome for Wallabies
14/06/2007 13:32 - (SA)
Greg Growden
Cape Town - The Wallabies have passed their first test in refusing to be provoked by the locals.
An advance party of Wallabies players and officials, which left Perth for South Africa before last Saturday's Test against Fiji, went to a Cape Town bar for a meal on Saturday night.
In the bar was a group of locals who began throwing ice at the Australians. The Australian contingent ignored them, with one player eventually going over and telling the group: "Don't bother. You're wasting your time."
The Wallabies have been warned to be on their best behaviour during their week in South Africa, especially after a string of embarrassing incidents, including Matt Henjak being sent home from Cape Town two years ago following a nightclub incident.
When the full contingent of Wallabies players and officials congregated in Cape Town on Monday, their first team meeting was about staying out of trouble while in South Africa.
Coincidentally, the meeting was held at the same hotel where the Brumbies were staying when they were involved in the 2000 Cape Town taxi affair.
During the team talk, the Wallabies were again reminded by management that they would not accept any indiscretions, and that punishment would be severe.
The message has obviously got through because on the South African Airways flight to Johannesburg, the flight crew made a special point of congratulating the Wallabies for their exemplary behaviour.
As the flight was about to land in Johannesburg, one of the SAA crew said over the loudspeaker that it had been "a pleasure to serve the most well-behaved group of sportsmen".
That prompted a round of applause.
- Rugby Heaven
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