The Australian Rugby Union says it’s up to SANZAR to investigate whether South Africa’s mass player withdrawals for their upcoming Tri-Nations encounters in Australia and New Zealand are legitimate.
The Springboks are set to field a second-string side against the Wallabies in Sydney on July 23 after team manager Andy Marinos said 21 of their preliminary World Cup squad were injured and unavailable for their opening two away Tri-Nations matches.
It leaves just fly-half Morne Steyn, hooker and captain John Smit and No.8 Pierre Spies as probable first-choice players in contention when the squad is named on Saturday for the Tests in Sydney and Wellington.
Fullback Francois Steyn, wingers JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana, centres Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers and scrum-half Fourie du Preez are among eight backs on the casualty list.
The 13 forwards ruled out include props Tendai Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis, locks Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield and flanks Schalk Burger and Juan Smith.
ARU chief executive John O’Neill was left fuming in 2007 when the Springboks, in a bid to keep their best players fresh ahead of the World Cup, selected a second-string squad for their Tri-Nations clash in Australia.
At the time, O’Neill labelled South Africa’s ploy as “simply not in the spirit of the game”.
But although the ARU aren’t treating the Springboks’ latest move as sinister just yet, they hope SANZAR will investigate the circumstances further.
“The SANZAR joint venture is quite specific about the three countries making best endeavours to field their best available teams and we also have that assurance in writing from the SARU chief executive,” an ARU spokesperson said.
“We can’t comment from here on what their injury status is, but I’m sure the SANZAR administration will take that up with SARU.”
South African team doctor Craig Roberts said that while a number of players faced a race against time to be fit for the two-fixture home leg of the Tri-Nations in August, no one had been ruled out of the World Cup.
“Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen recently sustained serious injuries and will definitely not be ready to take part in the Tri-Nations,” Roberts told a media conference.
“But we are hopeful that others who have had long-term injuries, such as Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussow and Gurthro Steenkamp, may be available at some point in the series.”
Defending champions South Africa will name a 30-man World Cup squad on August 23, fly to New Zealand on September 1 and begin their defence of the William Webb Ellis trophy 10 days later in Wellington against Wales.
The Wallabies will announce their initial 40-man squad on Sunday for the upcoming Test season.
Jack Thompson
Guest
The Boks are befok. Send second stringers, whip em and send them home with contempt. SA manipulating arrangements. now there's a surprise.
Gerhard van Lamp
Guest
Yeah,just mean this Tri-Nations.It's one of those things.I wonder why they don't just consider dropping it in a world cup year.There's depth in all the sides hough,so I wouldn't be surprized if Dan Carter gets a few games off.We just have to beat NZ in the semi!!
Photon
Guest
I have just one question to everyone here saying that Newscorp or SANZAR or anyone else should take SARU to court. How do you decide that when an organisation says that players are injured, they aren't injured. I may be carrying a hammy strain or a simply a bruise on my thigh, how do you go about deciding that the injury isn't sufficient reason for me to not be able to play, at the end of the day my injury might not seem disastrous to you, but I might feel that it prevents me from performing at 100% and consequently the next best player represents a better option for the team, the coach and the benefit of all parties involved. There's a reason SARU said they're players are injured and not merely being rested geniuses
Spencer
Guest
That's an interesting point. Will Newscorp pursue SARU in court?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Suzy the SA games attract negligible European audiences, however good Lynagh and Fitzpatrick are (not that it should attract small audiences but sports following is parochial), and the 50% revenue largely goes back to them. I don't think SA would really walk out and in the end would accept the other parties terms, but they need to be threatened otherwise they will continue to block expansion and behave disgracefully in general. Also, they are doubtless preventing new sources of revenue from existing by blocking expansion into Japan.
Damo
Guest
Yes I agree Johnno. Is it too late to call off the Tri-Nations? Something tells me that NZ and the Wallabies will do the same or similar as SA. But is it too late to call it off? Of course it is. NZ will want to win it (and the Bledisloe) to assert dominance and grab confidence before going in to tournament. Robbie will want to settle a few questions over who will play 1,3,12 and 13. So this years 3N may become a bit of a friendly test series for selection purposes. Which means that NZ with the greatest depth of elite players and combinations, will be favourites for the 2 cups before the big one.
Gumboot
Roar Rookie
What's that got to do with your original comment... "What about the NZRU devaluing the Super 14 in 2007? Or is that OK?" I'm just saying that the S14 is a different kettle of fish than the tri-nations. Obviously my 2 cents worth has devalued lol
Damo
Guest
Ahh Suzy - NZ posted 50 on us early in 03 but that was not the margin. I remember because I was sitting above Rocokoko corner(he scored 3)with my Kiwi father in law. I bought dinner that night. I was not a happy camper. Thanks for the memories.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
darwin New Zealand don't know what they want: Otago, population 207,000: 1 Super team Auckland, population 1,462,000 1 Super team That means the market is not saturated. According to those numbers 7 teams could fit in to Auckland, as there are 7 times more people there than in Otago. Realistically, there could be at least two more. Then Bay of Plenty and Manawatu-Wanganui have larger populations than Otago, Wellington 483,000, Canterbury 565,000. So they have not reached market saturation, and have a significant area, South Auckland, to take over for players who now go to league: league in this generation has produced SBW and Benji Marshall. As for Australia, of course the more teams there the better to compete with the 16 team NRL. How can 5 teams compete with 16?
Suzy Poison
Guest
Probably because South Africa account for 50% of the venture's revenue, and New Zealand and Australia each only amount to 25%. Also with timezone, South African games attract the European Audience. Someday if you get a chance, listen to the informed opinions of Sean Fitzpatrick and Michael Lynagh at half time, on Sky channel. It really makes plonkers like Marto and Kearnsy seem like idiots on Fox. In reality, all three partners need each other. Yes it might suck, coming second or third every year, against the Kiwis, but the Tri-Nations tournament is tougher than the World Cup, and if you want to be the best, you have to play the best.
Suzy Poison
Guest
If I recall, the AB's weren't too shabby either. Two 50 point away trashings. The smashed the Boks by 50points at Loftus, and smashed the Wallabies by 50 at Homebush. Carlos Spencer was hailed as the "greatest, most unpredictable" number 10 ever, (I saw him live at the WC and he was) Quade Cooper plays exactly like Carlos, will be interesting to see how it all pans out come WC time.
Suzy Poison
Guest
Agree, would rather see Lambie at 10, than Steyn. Morne will just waste any possession again, but it seems like the Bok management never get this message. They never admit, to the wrong gameplan, it's always the same old "accuracy of the kicking and the kick-chase runners not backing up" excuse.
gumboot
Guest
You sure about that? Last year and during this years S15 the Saffas were whinging more than usual which basically means non stop about refs, transformation, cheating, P.Div, J.Smit......, or are you talking about just this particular tri-nations because of the WC.
Johnno
Guest
well thisis the point about the books. they are in southern hemphisphers but not in our continent the BOKS owe us just as much or as little as we owe them. They don't need us and we don't need them and they don't have ot answer to us and this just exposes the farce even more that SANZAR has become. They are part of africa not Aisa or Australasia,It is a world cup year, that should be every countries no 1 priority and 2 end a bruising tournament 2 weeks out form RWC is madness. Sensible planning looking a the bigger picture and putting the tri nations in it's place. It has become boring anyway with 3 matches each against the 2 teams , overkill, looking forwad to 4 nations trial next year if argentina take it seriously and send full strength team. I think tri nations or 4 nations are a waste in world cup years.
darwin stubby
Guest
that ignores the fact (stated numerous times by Tew) that NZ dont want anymore SR teams .... also I'd caution that before chucking anything at the boks I'd wait to see what the kiwis will do and I wouldn't betting they'll do similar on the away legs
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
I think it's high time Australia and New Zealand consider kicking South Africa out of Sanzar. Not only is there appalling behaviour like this, but South Africa with all their might try to block any new clubs in the Super competition, when without them Australia and New Zealand could add as many as they wanted and expand into Japan and the U.S.
Lee
Guest
Key there being "best available team"...that doesn't mean you send injured players.
gumboot
Guest
Yeah but there's a written contract/agreement for the tri-nations to send your best available team, not so the Super rugby. Apples for pears really? As John Smit says (ironically) excuses are for losers
Sylvester Hyde
Guest
I wonder if the "injured" Habana and de Villiers would be playing this weekend, had the Stormers won...
Ben S
Roar Guru
I don't know... there's a lot of journeymen in that side. I think Brossouw and Pienaar are very classy, but players like Oosthuizen and Kruger, for example, are totally unproven at Test level, and Van der Merwe, Muller, Stegmann and Olivier are no more than solid, if not pretty uninspiring. I'd say that if SA are to do well with this side then they will rely on Brossouw, Pienaar, De Jongh and Aplon, but what is the point in having a backline including Mvovo, Basson, Aplon and De Jongh when the 10 is no more than a kicker? The side you have picked is set up to counter attack but IMO will not be able to with Steyn at 10.