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The first Test race against time facing Springboks captain Kolisi

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has admitted that some of their virus-affected players – a contingent that includes World Cup-winning skipper Siya Kolisi – could be unavailable for first Test selection against the Lions on July 24 due to the protocols surrounding the reintegration to the squad of those caught up in the outbreak.

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There have been a cumulative 14 positive Covid cases among players and twelve among the Springboks staff since they assembled to prepare for their three-match Test series versus the touring Lions and it was last Monday, July 11, when the identities of the latest players that had tested positive – including Kolisi – were revealed on the same day that the squad returned to training in advance of their midweek win over the Lions as a South Africa A team.

The latest players who tested positive were Springboks captain Kolisi, Dan du Preez, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Scarra Ntubeni and Makazole Mapimpi and Nienaber admitted on Friday, eight days out from the opening Test match in Cape Town, that he wasn’t sure that everyone who has been affected by the virus will be available for selection by the time the Test series gets started.

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“I’m not 100 per cent sure on that, I will probably lie if I give you an answer,” he said when asked at a virtual media briefing about the availability status next weekend of players who are currently off-limits to them and self-isolating.

“There are lots of criteria. We have got two medical professionals who run that for us and they are in constant communication with the medical advisory group that guides us through that process. They are on top of it and every morning we as a coaching group get feedback from them, this guy is still on track, that guy is on track and they can tell us this guy can join team training now.

“We just want to know when can he join us for training and we work with the players we have available and not wreck our heads with the guys and the process as they return. That is up to the doctors. They must get them ready and the moment that guy is ready to join our group we will work with him.

“We currently still have players who are not available for selection because of the Covid protocols. When a player tests positive for Covid you go into isolation for 10 days. People then think they are eligible to play again after ten days but that is not the case.

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“There is a return to play protocol that they have to follow before they can get selected. Basically, if a player tests positive for Covid it will take him 17 days to get back, 16 to 17 days to get back into the mix. There are protocols we have to follow.”

So low on props have the Springboks been left by the outbreak that they had to call Wilco Louw, the recent Gallagher Premiership title winner with Harlequins, into their squad to provide cover from the bench in this Saturday’s preparation match against the Bulls.

“We, unfortunately, had only four props available and if one of them got injured then we wouldn’t be able to field a full front row and a bench and then you would have to forfeit the match which is the reason why we have brought Wilco Louw in.”

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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