'SA wrong to ignore exiles'
2002-12-04 20:03
London - Former South African coach Nick Mallett has said the Springboks' policy of refusing to select foreign-based players was harming the country's prospects ahead of next year's World Cup.
But Mallett, now in charge of French team Stade Francais, was pessimistic about the chances of the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) reversing its stance.
"I don't think Sarfu will ever change their mind over those players overseas," Mallett told Wednesday's edition of the London Evening Standard.
"They are trying to protect their Super 12 teams by keeping players in the country and this ring-fencing of talent just isn't working anymore," added Mallett, who resigned in September 2000 following a row about Sarfu's ticketing policy.
"The players are getting fed up with the way rugby in South Africa is being run and the Super 12 tournament.
"They are not being well-coached and are getting smashed by the other teams and it's no fun," added Mallett, whose Stade side are in London on Saturday to take on Harlequins in the European Challenge Cup, the continent's second tier club competition.
Mallett also said he was stunned by the fact that 22 South African players, including Quins' Andre Vos, were now earning their living outside the country and insisted that some of the exiles still had plenty to offer the national side.
"I thought it was nearer 10 than 20 and we're talking about guys like Percy Montgomery, Andre Vos and Mark Andrews who are still at an age when they could represent South Africa."
During his time in charge of the Springboks, Mallett guided the team to a world-record equalling run of 17 successive Test wins.
That stands in sharp contrast to the Boks recent' form. Their November tour of Europe saw them beaten by France, lose to Scotland for the first time in 33 years and conclude with a 53-3 thrashing by England - South Africa's largest Test defeat of all time.
"I was at Twickenham and knew that if the team weren't capable of beating Scotland they weren't going to beat England," Mallett explained.
"It was just a case of would they compete bravely and lose by 20 points or get hammered because they played stupidly.
"They chose the second option," said Mallett of a team forced to play most of the match with 14 men after lock Jannes Labuschagne's 23rd minute red card for a late tackle on England stand-off Jonny Wilkinson.
"That did hurt and I was very disappointed for the players," Mallett admitted. "But what needs to happen is South African administrators have to go.
"I realise they are all entrenched; voting for each other, same old pats on the back and same old incompetence and they are too scared to make the hard decisions needed to take South African rugby into the modern, professional era."
South Africans playing rugby overseas
Backs: Pieter Muller (Cardiff/Wal), Brendan Venter (London Irish/Eng), Dan van Zyl (Montferrand/Fra), Hentie Martens (London Irish/Eng), Braam van Straaten (Leeds/Eng), Franco Smith (Treviso/Ita), Pieter Rossouw (London Irish/Eng), Thinus Delport (Gloucester/Eng), Joe Gillingham (Narbonne/Fra), Werner Swanepoel (Worcester/Eng), Dave von Hoesslin (Montferrand/Fra), Percy Montgomery (Newport/Wal)
Forwards: Warren Brosniham (Ulster/Irl), Robbie Kempson (Ulster/Irl), Naka Drotske (London Irish/Eng), Marius Hurter (Newcastle/Eng), Adrian Garvey (Newport/Wal), Charl Marais (Sale/Eng), Brent Moyle (Perpignan/Fra), Botha Rossouw (Beziers/Fra), Andre Vos (Harlequins/Eng), Mark Andrews (Newcastle/Eng) - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA