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By Ashfak Mohamed 
3h ago
CAPE TOWN – If Jake White were the current Springbok coach, he would ask SA Rugby to withdraw the team from the Rugby Championship as it is “a bit unfair” for them to participate.
While Sanzaar announced a revised fixture schedule, with all testing in Australia, last Thursday, the Wallabies hosted the All Blacks in Sydney in the opener on October 31, and the Boks finished the event on December 12 against Argentina in Newcastle, the south. Africans have yet to confirm that they will actually travel to Australia.
On Saturday, SA Rugby Union said it would announce its final decision “early next week” after consulting with the government and Sanzaar, as “various obstacles must be overcome to be confirmed.”
New head coach Jacques Nienaber and his team are scheduled to start their tournament against Argentina in Brisbane on November 7, but will have to go through a 14-day quarantine period once they arrive in Australia.
That means the Bok, who are the defending champions and World Cup winners, will have to arrive in Brisbane by October 18 at the latest, so they can have a proper test preparation week starting November 1. .
Adding to the uncertainty would be star status abroad, which could result in players from South Africa only in the opening matches before others from Europe and Japan could be considered.
And these are just the problems on the field: There is also a huge financial incentive for the Boks to play, as local authorities have already cut R1.2 billion from the balance sheet, with pay cuts among the measures taken to reduce bills. .
“From a rugby point of view, as a former coach, I think it’s great that the guys want to play test matches,” said former Bok mentor White after his Bulls team’s 30-23 win over Griquas. Saturday night.
“I fully understand that it is not the ideal preparation, and probably if I were the coach, I would be asking SA Rugby to try to find ways that we are probably not involved, because it is a bit unfair.
“If you are considering that they will make the call next week, then there are guys from the club who have to get out of their commitments; Here are players who have played a rugby match or two who suddenly have to enter a rugby championship.
“You face some of the best players in the world and they have played constantly. Australia and New Zealand have played rugby for the last three or four months.
“I would also understand that there are other things that come into play. First of all, we are the current champions of that tournament. Second, there are television rights, etc.
“So I can understand that if you are sitting in the boardroom and doing the sums, you would have a perception of what should happen, and if you are a coach, then you have another perception. It’s hard “.
@ashfakmohamed
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