Off-field dramas need to end - now

Former Springbok, Stormers, WP and Bath centre Robbie Fleck is sick and tired of politics undermining the game of rugby in South Africa – especially in a World Cup year and with the Boks in such good form ahead of the 2007 Tri-Nations.

Nowadays when you read a weekend newspaper you have to start at the back to find out the rugby results, although you will soon find yourself on the front page reading the ‘real’ rugby news.

For this week’s column, let’s start at the ‘back page’ and look back at Saturday’s match against Samoa, which the Boks won 35-8. It wasn’t exactly your classic rugby Test match, but it did allow Jake the opportunity to blood some youngsters and try out some new combinations.

First up, let me just say that I thought Waylon Murray looked very comfortable at this level, which was heartening to see. He’s still a young man and even though he made a few uncharacteristic handling errors, he handled himself well and made a nice try-saving tackle in the corner, too.

I thought the backs, on the whole, looked a lot better with ball in hand. Yes, they weren’t playing against the greatest team out there, but Murray, Francois Steyn and JP Pietersen showed a willingness to attack, which was refreshing. I’ve long been a Pietersen fan; he reminds me of Pieter Rossouw. He always likes to have a go and he is the type of player who can bring the crowd to its feet with one bit of magic. Yes, he makes mistakes, but he brings something different to the party.

Of course, in saying that you can’t just pick fifteen JP Pietersens – it’s all about that balance between youth and experience, which is what I mentioned last week. You need your John Smits, Bobby Skinstads, Jean de Villiers’ and Percy Montgomerys to guide the Spies’, Steyns and Murrays of this world.

Another issue for me from the weekend was the performance of Derick Hougaard at fly-half. I see he was awarded the official Man of the Match Award afterwards, but I still think he stands way too deep for my liking. Also, I believe that Wayne Julies did not get enough credit for his performance. He played a big role and threw two very good passes for Pietersen and Steyn’s tries.

I don’t think Hougaard is the answer. Butch, in my mind, is the best choice to play at No.10, but we need one other quality fly-half. André Pretorius has not played since the Super 14, but I’m still not convinced by him. He’s got a nice kicking and attacking game, but he can be a bit selfish with the ball and defensively he is weak. Either way, he needs game time, so being injured right now can’t be helping him either.

There is also talk of Francois Steyn having a run at No.10, which would not be a bad idea. One thing I do know is that he is wasted on the wing and seems a bit lost there sometimes; at fullback he is at least able to join the line with more ease. He has, however, looked good when given a run at inside centre against England (in the first Test) and Samoa. I wouldn’t mind him having another go there in a big game, for a longer period of time – he straightens the line nicely, he off-loads superbly and he is not scared of tackling anybody.

He has all the makings – vision and power – of an Aaron Mauger or a Luke McAlister, in the true New Zealand sense of a second five-eighth (a second fly-half). Steyn is physical, he can kick and he can run; he just needs a proper run at inside centre as I think he could be a real option as a back-up to Jean de Villiers, who we all know is world-class himself.

I doubt Steyn will get that chance, however, especially with the Tri-Nations starting this weekend and the Rugby World Cup not that far away, although you wouldn’t have guessed that, what with all the off-field dramas in our game at the moment.

Time and time again, the administrators somehow manage to cause problems in a RWC year, which, especially now, is a massive shame as I seriously believe we do have a huge opportunity of doing well in the World Cup – for the first time in a while. It’s a disgrace and everything going on at the moment does not belong in this game of ours.

I really feel sorry for everybody involved at the moment; Jake White, John Smit and Luke Watson. Imagine waking up on a Saturday morning of a Test match to read on the front page of the newspaper that you’re being worked out of a team and a game you love so much just because of what somebody’s father did, or stood for – as admirable and brave as it was – all those years ago? But that was then and this is now and whether Luke is good enough to captain the team next year is a moot point at the moment – that’s a bridge we need to cross then; for now everyone’s attention should be on the World Cup, not undoing everything Jake and John have put together since the start of 2004.

John Smit has done a brilliant job since taking over. South Africa were ranked well outside the top three rugby nations at that stage, we still had the whole Rudolf Straeuli and ‘Kamp Staaldraad’ era hanging over us, but John put his head down and led from the front; first to a Tri-Nations title and now to the point where he has a very realistic chance of holding aloft the William Webb Ellis trophy. John had always planned on leaving SA Rugby after the World Cup, his second in a row, but it can’t be easy having to put up with all of this stuff happening off the field at the same time. It’s all very disheartening.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t ended there and the latest sagas this week have involved alleged bar-fights and affairs, which, frankly, belong on an episode of Footballers Wives – not near the front pages of our newspapers, and certainly not anywhere near the back pages. You don’t see Richie McCaw or Daniel Carter having to waste their time dealing with malicious reports in the New Zealand media – why should John Smit have to?

As I said earlier, I feel so, so sorry for everyone involved in this entire saga. I was in the Springbok team back in 2000 when Nick Mallett was forced out because of comments about Test ticket prices, ironically also in the lead-up to a Tri-Nations match against the Wallabies. The week, itself, was a tough one, given the magnitude of the match, but the off-field distractions did not help us at all. We very nearly won that match – a late and controversial Stirling Mortlock penalty won it for them – but it still remains a miracle that we came that close in the end. I am pretty sure the players, now, are feeling like we felt back then – uncertain and worried.

Jake, like Nick back then, is taking some strain at the moment and I can see why he wanted to have a meeting with Thabo Mbeki. I guess SARU, as Jake’s employers, have a right to stop him from doing so, but it’s a clear cry for help, they should be supporting him – not create even more of a rift between the team and themselves. Who knows, maybe Jake wanted to discuss a tax or golfing issue with the President, which frankly, would be none of SARU’s business in any event – although it’s almost as if we need an intervention from our President, or even Nelson Mandela, to calm things down right now…

Of course, transformation is a realistic issue in South Africa and it is something we cannot hide from. I, for one, am a big believer in having a fully representative side out there, but there are two very important things that people – or rather the administrators! – need to keep in mind:

(1) The supporters will always be there, no matter what. Yes, there are some people out there who have supported the Boks for a number of years and, yes, they will vote with their feet at first. But they will be back; rugby is in their blood and they will eventually come back and support the Boks again. Transformation will take place, but it needs to go through the correct channels. Just look at how integrated, and successful, our Under-19 and U21 teams have been of late – that is proof in itself that it is (and can!) happening..

(2) If transformation is not handled properly it will send a horrid message out there to the youth of our country, the Springboks of tomorrow. Imagine knowing that you don’t have to work at becoming the best player in your position in the country. Imagine if all you have to do is have the right father or skin colour – would you still have the same desire and will to die out there for your country? If the powers that be get this wrong, the wrong message will get out there and our game will suffer, badly.

This has been a tough column to write. Like all of you out there, I am a proud South African and an even prouder former Springbok – let’s get back to worrying about the state of our game on the field, which, remarkably, is presently in a very healthy position indeed.

Until next week,
Robbie Fleck

* Fleckie’s ‘Last Word’ will appear weekly on iafrica.com – and also on sport365 and rugby365 – so log on again next week for some more opinions and in-depth analysis from the 31-times capped Springbok centre. Also, feel free to email Fleckie at sport365@365digital.co.za with any comments or queries.