Lions would be wounded
Hamilton: Block Boks from Six Nations
THE debate over whether South Africa should join the Six Nations is fierce. Ultimately, as ever, it seems that money will talk, but at the moment the consequences of such a move are still emerging.
For former Scotland international Jim Hamilton, it’s the unintended effect it could have on the British and Irish Lions that worries him. The famous touring side visits one of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia every four years, although their future has also been the subject of conjecture in recent times.
‘What will happen to the Lions?’ said a concerned Hamilton, with Sportsmail having first revealed that South Africa could be set to join in 2025.
‘I know they tour South Africa only once every 12 years, but you completely take the romance out of the British and Irish Lions tour if you’re playing South Africa every season in the Six Nations, too.
‘I hope they are not admitted as I am a complete traditionalist, a romantic around the Six Nations. As much as I love South Africa, I don’t want to see them in the Six Nations. But I think it’ll happen.
‘I genuinely think there is an inevitability to them joining and in the next couple of years the momentum will start gathering but for me, as a kid and then as a player, watching Super Rugby, it was so strong.
‘Then watching the Tri-Nations and the Rugby Championship, I can’t get my head around that looking different. Or the Six Nations looking different, with its European games, going to Rome, Paris, Dublin, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London, these fantastic rugby places — not that South Africa isn’t, but in my mind, I can’t get my head around it.’ Hamilton (below) believes if they are allowed in, it should become the Seven Nations rather than the Springboks replacing Italy as he believes they have the potential to get better in the coming years. ‘The inevitability of the commerciality of the game, the way we’re seeing the United Rugby Championship happen, where the additions of South African teams have been fantastic, the European aspect where the South African teams can compete for a place in the Heineken Cup adds a completely different dynamic to the game,’ he said. ‘But there is a bit of romance around Italy, and although there were question marks over their future participation in the Six Nations their win against Wales in Cardiff has done them absolute wonders, and the fact that their under-20s are performing so well helps, too.’
Former Springboks captain Jean De Villiers, who won 109 caps for South Africa and was part of the squad that won the 2009 series against the Lions, wants his country to join the Six Nations but takes Hamilton’s point on board regarding future tours.
‘That’s an extremely good point Jim makes about the Lions that should not be forgotten,’ he said. ‘I would be so saddened to see the Lions not happen if this decision is made. A Lions tour, as a South African, is one of the most special things ever.
‘Last year I was fortunate enough to be at all three Test matches, and even without a crowd, it is something we can never let go.
‘In saying that, from a South African point of view, already we’re entering Europe with the URC and hopefully the Champions Cup. Jim talks about being a traditionalist and I’m the same, but things change. It was the Five Nations, now Six Nations, so it has changed over time and the inevitability of it changing again is probably pretty strong.’
De Villiers is confident that at club level the four South African clubs in the URC can make a big impact in the coming years which will showcase further the strength of South African rugby.
At club level, Edinburgh went out to South Africa earlier this month where they became the first league side to beat the Sharks at home this season before they lost to the Lions. Glasgow Warriors arrive there today with a 32-man squad to prepare for back-to-back matches against the Stormers and the Bulls.
De Villiers believes it was no surprise that Edinburgh became the first visiting side to win in South Africa as their team had some South African born players such as Jaco van der Walt, Boan Venter, and Luan De Bruin in their ranks and the match was played in more Scottish-type weather with torrential rain for the full 80 minutes.
‘We were all very surprised about the win to start with but the weather did play a part,’ said De Villiers.
‘Also when you dissect it, a lot of that Edinburgh team is South African so should we be surprised that a team with lots of South Africans won in South Africa?’
De Villiers also said he had mixed emotions when he saw so many South Africans in the Edinburgh squad this season with his countrymen W P Nel, Pierre Schoeman and Henry Immelman, also part of the club.
Asked whether it was a case that the South Africans at Edinburgh were looked on as simply not good enough to play in South Africa or ones that got away, he said: ‘It is a case of being a bit of both.
‘But how do we keep them in South Africa when we are competing with clubs in Europe when the economy and
the currency is struggling here? Sometimes what you can offer financially the boys abroad is much more than what you can offer them in South Africa.
‘Keeping them here means the Springboks coach can measure them against players in the same competition but like every job when you find opportunities you take them.
‘For instance, CJ Stander, when I was captain at the Springboks, was one of the young guys who people felt would one day play for the Springboks. He made the decision to go to Ireland and he has had an unbelievable career for Ireland and Munster. It is a business and you have to provide for your family. Sometimes it is hard to see players going and other times they wouldn’t make it in South Africa so a bit of mixed emotions.’ lJim Hamilton is part of the Premier Sports team bringing every game live from the United Rugby Championship throughout the season including every second of the drama from the Top 8 quarter-finals, the semi-finals and URC Championship finale on Saturday, June 18. Jim Hamilton will join Dougie Vipond, John Barclay, Bob Skinstad and Rory Lawson for live coverage of DHL Stormers v Glasgow Warriors on Premier Sports 1 from 5.30pm this Friday, April 22. For more information, visit www.premier sports.com