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Injured Springboks captain John Smit has accused the All Blacks of demanding preferential treatment as the fallout from last saturday’s controversial Tri-Nations rugby Test continued today.
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A day before flying home to have his injured groin treated, a furious Smit pulled no punches about the incident in which he was lifted and dropped by All Blacks lock Brad Thorn.
Thorn was suspended for a week for “unsportsmanlike conduct”, ruling him out of the second Test in Dunedin on Saturday.
It was a charge and punishment that left 2007 World Cup-winning skipper Smit shaking his head.
“Just imagine (Springboks lock) Bakkies Botha doing something similar to (All Blacks captain) Richie McCaw. World rugby would have come to a standstill,” Smit told South African journalists today.
“Yes, I’m angry. I’m really not happy about having to sit in South Africa and watch the Springboks beat the All Blacks in Dunedin.”
Smit was in a forgiving mood immediately after the Test but four days of reflection had changed his tune on the incident.
His bitter comments raised memories of the fallout three years ago when touring British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll was ruled out of the series early in the first Test in Christchurch courtesy of a lifting tackle.
All Blacks tacklers Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu were never punished, which drew the ire of O’Driscoll and Lions coach Clive Woodward.
“One almost gets the idea that anyone who is not from New Zealand does not have the same rights as someone who plays for the All Blacks,” Smit said.
“I was suspended for six weeks after a Test match in France for running into someone with my elbow held in front of me. It was not nearly as nasty as what happened to me last Saturday.”
Charges of foul play during last Saturday’s brutal Test have been made by both camps.
The All Blacks believe their star five-eighth Daniel Carter was a target for foul play, particularly from Springboks opposite Butch James.
Smit could not fathom the post-Test insinuations of All Blacks coach Graham Henry.
“A few seasons ago, Graham Henry asked everyone not to tackle Richie McCaw. Now Richie is injured and Henry is asking everyone not to tackle Dan Carter,” he said.
“If everyone can only realise no one is above the rugby laws, we can all move forward.”
Smit, who will also miss next week’s Test against Australia in Perth, was also unhappy with the refereeing of Australian Stuart Dickinson, believing Springboks coach Peter de Villiers was correct in accusing the All Blacks of illegalities at scrum time.
Meanwhile, the row between the two sides has reached diplomatic levels with the South African Honorary Consul in New Zealand hitting out at former All Black Craig Dowd for calling de Villiers a “puppet”.
Dowd told an NZ radio station de Villiers had some good staff around him but it was yet to be seen if he knew anything about rugby.
South African Honorary Consul Gregory Fortuin today called on Dowd to apologise for the comments, which he said were offensive.
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