Springboks’ misery could go on for years
The saddest aspect of the autumn internationals was the shocking eclipse of South Africa – as an object lesson in why sport and politics don’t mix, you couldn’t have a clearer one.
It’s not over-stating it to question whether the Saffers are a generation away from once again being a force to be reckoned with.
At the heart of the problem is the quota system which on a purely sporting level is a total and utter nonsense, but politically is an absolutely understandable initiative.
By 2019 the aim is that 50 per cent of the Springbok side will be ‘players of colour’, and that alone is probably enough to ensure that South African rugby will continue to struggle.
Not enough schools outside of the Western and Eastern Cape, traditional Afrikaner territory, offer rugby, but at the same time, apparently almost 85 per cent of South Africans aged under 18 are black African.
Unless more young black Africans start to play rugby, then the quota system will kill the Saffers on the international stage.
It also doesn’t help that the economy continues to struggle, and that means that European countries can make South African players very attractive offers.
Take this in conjunction with the pressures of the quota, and you can see why heading abroad is very tempting.
As is always the case, their coach, Allister Coetzee, is under huge pressure, but you can’t help but think that whoever coached the ‘Boks in the current environment would have their work cut out.
It’s all just so sad, but there isn’t any easy fix to the problems – it looks likely to get worse before it gets better.
So, bonus points will be introduced into the Six Nations. Rather than seeing this as some sort of revolutionary step forward, it’s actually the competition slowly dragging itself into the modern age.
Every other major rugby competition embraced bonus points years ago, and they’ve been a success. They don’t need to be trialled, but that’s what the Six Nations knuckle-draggers have done, announcing that there will be a review after the competition! Let me help them out: bonus points are here to stay, and no further discussion is needed.
As well as copying the model of other successful competitions, they announced that a team achieving the Grand Slam will, in 2017, get an additional three points, fearful that bonus points might create an awkward situation.
If one side had four bonus point wins, and another won all of their five matches, but without managing to score four tries in any of them, they’d have the same number of points, but the weaker side might have nicked a losing bonus point and sneaked ahead.
Why they didn’t just say that a Grand Slam trumps everything and any side that achieves one are the Champions, is beyond me, but that’s the Six Nations for you.
The next two weekends of rugby are always a joy. Rounds 3 and 4 of the Champions Cup see the same sides pitted against each other, home and away, and this is when the shape of the pools start to be determined. Outside of the mismatches between Zebre and Toulouse, there really isn’t a duff tie, and with BT Sports and Sky sharing out the fixtures, give the Xmas shopping a miss and put your feet up!
The pick of the viewing starts on Friday evening when Northampton come up against Leinster: can the Saints set the foundations for a much-needed strong European campaign, and can the Irish international resurgence be carried into the Provinces?
Munster and Leicester is a must-see – can the Anthony Foley effect continue, or can the Tigers, with a restored Manu Tuilagi, repair the damage done by their round 1 mauling by Glasgow?
Finally, the encounters between Wasps and Connacht will define Pool 2: if one or the other can win both legs then the gap that opens up will be a real problem for Toulouse.
With a glass in one hand, remote control chained to the other, and pizza deliveries at half-time, it really doesn’t get much better than this!