Tightheads & Loose Balls

● Context is everything. This week All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was reminded that the core of the Springbok team the

All Blacks beat by a point at Newlands last year, would be deployed in yesterday’s Test in Wellington. “The last one could have gone either way and if we’re really honest should have gone SA’s way. So, they should probably be the favourites, I reckon,” he said with a grin.

That kind of nuance, of course, was lost on those who merely read the quote or listened to the audio.

● All Blacks skipper Kieran Read was very diplomatic when asked if SA remain New Zealand’s No1 foe. “Look, I don’t know. They are an old foe of ours. Each team around the world has its special meanings for us as All Blacks to play against. The South Africans are special in their own way. It is hard to pinpoint.”

● PE-born Scottish international Cornell du Preez suffered a rare injury playing for Worcester Warriors last week. He will be unable to speak for the next four weeks or so after fracturing his Adam’s apple in a collision with Wasps’ second rower Joe Launchbury. Du Preez’s voice box is damaged, which would have been harder to stomach had he been a scrumhalf.

● Toulon’s garrulous owner Mourad Boudjellal has a way with words. This week in an interview he managed to have a dig at the gifted enfant terrible Johan Goosen and the player’s former club Racing 92 in one sentence. “Goosen will be whistled outside, except at Racing, because there is no orchestra.” Goosen controversially quit Racing and the game but after a cooling-off period he is back in France with Montpellier.