SA coach in row at home over race

Jake White

WELLINGTON - The Springboks crisis accelerated yesterday with politicians calling for rugby bosses and national coach Jake White to answer "reckless" comments about quota selections.

White is in dispute with the South African media about comments that flanker Solly Tyibilika had been picked for tomorrow's test against the All Blacks because of South Africa's transformation programme.

The Cape Argus quoted White saying Tyibilika was selected because he was black and that the claims of Western Province captain Luke Watson were ignored because of the need to balance the racial make-up of the side.

That claim was refuted by the Springbok management who were then accused by the Argus reporter of tampering with their answers.

Whatever the veracity, the controversy has boiled over in South Africa with the head of the parliamentary sports committee stating White should be axed. South African rugby leaders were also not spared.

"We are going to meet these people [SA Rugby] soon. The team is going down," committee chairman Butana Komphela said on the Argus website.

The chairman claimed White had been reckless in blaming transformation for his failure to call up Watson for the Tri-Nations and that there was a "conspiracy" to sideline Watson.

Some observers feel Watson's only crime is that his father, "Cheeky" Watson, was an anti-apartheid rebel who promoted non-racial rugby in Port Elizabeth's townships.

When the dynamic Schalk Burger was injured, White resisted the chance to bring his provincial teammate Watson into the Tri-Nations squad.

Instead he picked Joe van Niekerk who looked out of place as an openside flanker in Brisbane, before Tyibilika was chosen for tomorrow's test against the All Blacks even though he has not played top rugby for two months.

"I'm just going to worry about myself and not Richie McCaw," Tyibilika said of his challenge.

"I will be playing like a fetcher, but also I'll be trying to make it difficult for the All Blacks at all the rucks and mauls by getting up in their faces, using my strength and speed and making lots of tackles."

Meanwhile the Argus reported that Komphela had shown contempt for White's selection explanation.

"We do not have a problem with Watson being picked. He is one of the best players around at the moment," Komphela said. He wondered if White's refusal to select Watson was backed by rugby leaders.

"Jake White does not just toss around that arrogance if he is not being backed," Komphela added. "I am emphasising today that when we said Jake White must go we were not [wrong]. He must go."

The office of Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile labelled White's transformation concerns a bluff, saying he had never worried about the issue previously.

After the shellacking the Springboks took for their 49-0 loss to the Wallabies last week, the latest flareup has left them even more defensive. There is a lack of organisation off the field, with White appearing to be coach, spokesman and bottlewasher.

There does not appear to be a manager and none of the assistant coaches appears at public conferences.

White's reliance on experienced players or others from offshore to carry the side through to the next World Cup is unravelling, injuries have hit them hard and the lack of spirit showed in their abysmal Tri-Nations start in Brisbane.