Watson slurs undeserved

For the second Friday running, sports writer Kevin McCallum has trashed Luke Watson in Business Day (“There’s the Right Way and the Luke Watson Way“, February 8). Surely Watson deserves the right of reply to this one-sided barrage of insults? Watson’s well-known disparaging of the Springbok jersey was disgusting, but he was never given credit for his public apology. As a rugby player, he was certainly not a shoo-in for Bok selection, but he was quite capable.

We regularly hear of his attitudinal problems creating tension with teammates. He seemingly did not fit in. Yet he proved a very good Western Province leader and showed a loyalty to his province that other Bok heroes did not.

When he was approached by Bath, he concluded a contract on the condition that he would complete his Currie Cup commitments with the WP before leaving for the UK. This he did.

When Stormers and WP captain Jean de Villiers moved to take up a lucrative offer with Irish club Munster, he left SA very shortly thereafter. When Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen moved to Toulon he, injured at the time, was in France on a photo shoot on the very day that his Stormers team was playing in a Super Rugby quarterfinal.

Whatever his flaws, and there were many, Watson served SA with honour and does not deserve to be insulted weekly by your columnist.

David Wolpert Rivonia