Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said SA was ready to host the remainder of the Rugby Championship, as the competition’s organisers scramble for a venue for the rest of this year’s matches in the coming days.
The Boks have been told they cannot enter New Zealand for two Tests in late September due to Covid-19 travel restrictions there, while the All Blacks have said they will not travel to Perth to face Australia next weekend.
It has thrown the future of the competition into doubt, but Nienaber believes SA’s lessons from recently hosting the British and Irish Lions for an eight-match series, including three Tests, and Argentina for their opening two games of the Rugby Championships, mean they have all protocols in place.
“We would love to host. It would be good for the country,” Nienaber told reporters after Saturday’s 29-10 victory over Argentina in Gqeberha.
“We have showed that we can host in a pandemic. We have the protocols in place. But wherever it is the safest, and where we can get continuity in the tournament, we will play. We will play anywhere.”
The pressure that we put on ourselves as a squad, I was very nervous of this Test match and I thought the players were unbelievable in terms of how they stood up.
— Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber
The Boks cruised to the win on Saturday, but a poor final 20 minutes saw them spurn a number of chances to earn a bonus-point try through errors at the set-piece.
“It wasn’t perfect if you look at the opportunities we created at the back end of the second half. But this team has been playing now, if you take the SA A game against the Lions, for six Test matches on the trot.
“At this level, with this intensity, it takes its toll,” Nienaber said.
He said that the decision to bring less experienced players off the bench was a factor, but that the overall goal is retaining the World Cup in 2023 and the need to grow their pool of talent.
“Our strategic goals will always be to win the Rugby Championship but looking to the future to 2023, you have to get experience into the broader squad.”
He admitted he was nervous this week about the win against a feisty Argentina, having claimed the first game 32-12 at the same venue.
“The pressure that we put on ourselves as a squad, I was very nervous of this Test match and I thought the players were unbelievable in terms of how they stood up.”
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos is “optimistic” the Wallabies’ Bledisloe Cup meeting with New Zealand will go ahead in Perth, despite the All Blacks’ withdrawal from next Saturday’s game because of concerns over Covid-19 restrictions.
The third meeting of the series between the teams — which also doubles up as the countries’ second clash in this year’s Rugby Championship — was scheduled to be played in West Australia on August 28.
But after a decision on Friday by New Zealand Rugby to pull out of the game sparked a war of words between the nations rugby officials, Marinos is confident the match can still happen on a later date.
“We’re working hard now with the West Australian government and the stadium to see if we can move that to September 4,” Marinos told Channel Nine on Sunday.
“We remain optimistic and confident we can get the game away eventually in Perth.”
NZR CEO Mark Robinson refuted claims RA not been consulted before the All Blacks pulled out, having won the opening two encounters in Auckland earlier in the month.
“We had calls right through from Wednesday, Thursday, we put something in writing on Thursday and then we spoke to them before anything was released,” Robinson told Newstalk ZB.
“Certainly I know that senior All Blacks and Wallabies were discussing the situation and our players were making them aware of the reality of our situation.”
Despite the decision, which also saw the cancellation of the All Blacks’ home matches in The Rugby Championship against SA, Robinson stressed NZR still planned to play the third Bledisloe Cup game.
“We understand that Rugby Australia are under severe financial pressure,” said Robinson. “This is an important game for them and we are committed to playing that match.
Marinos, however, remained unconvinced that the All Blacks had planned to travel to Perth for the game as it was scheduled.
“I don’t think they really had any intention of fulfilling that game on the 28th,” he said.
“We feel there’s been a significant amount of compromise and sacrifice on our side.
“We don’t feel that’s being reciprocated at the moment. They just keep putting up roadblocks.”
— Reuters
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