KEY POINTS:
Here is a selection of Your Views:
BringbackBuck
Of course he's doing the right thing! Being World Cup champions is all any nation wants. Who amongst us will be saying that it's okay that we lost the world cup because at least we have the Tri-Nations trophy? While I hope the ABs do win the WC, I think SA are going to be there in the final and they are going to be a much better side then they were in the last game and probably wont give up a 11 point half time lead.
Riaan (Saffa)
As a SA rugby fan I have always been a big fan of the Kiwis. The way you play your rugby and the commitment is unmatched in the world. However after the decision of SA to rest some players before touring in the Tri-Nations, I wonder if you're not just a whining bunch, like the Poms. Since the last world cup NZ has been using a rotation policy. Last year you lost the final test in Rustenburg due to this policy. (If you picked your strongest team the game would've been different.) So how on earth can you now take the moral high ground when we decide to rotate our team? You're a bit like the country where you blow someone up for maybe possibly having nukes when you yourself have stocks piled up back at home. So please stop your bloody whining and then we'll see you blow it in the semis again?
Ted the deaf fisherman.
At this late stage, and having purchased my tickets for the All Black/Springbok test in Christchurch, I feel cheated out of my money as this game will be little better than a good club game. At least, when Henry had his reconditioning program it allowed a number of young players a chance to come through, put their hands up, and say that "I am ready", which is great for the future of our rugby. This will not happen in South Africa simply because it is too late in the season, and it will do their top players little good in the world cup as they will struggle for fitness just as they struggled against the All Blacks last weekend.
Andy (London)
Credit to AJ Venter. I reckon he, and most South Africans, see this sham for what is and to turn a chance to represent his country ever again sums up the way most people feel about it all.
Frosty (Hayward, California)
If you make a deal, it is a deal. Breaking it at the last minute because it suddenly doesn't make sense without renegotiating is not right. The reasoning is obvious, but you have to think about that before you make a deal. This sort of thing makes the whole sport look bad to the whole planet, it affects revenue. If I was a sponsor I would pull my sponsorship and sue for anything I had invested because I am not getting the audience I was promised. The problem is not the idea, the problem is that they made a commitment and then when things did not go the way they wanted they decided to say "Oh we really didn't mean that, we just said that but now looking at it doesn't make sense."
The IRB should let them know that if they actually break this huge commitment which affects the income and support for the sport as a whole worldwide, they will be pulled from the Cup and they can rest their top players all they want! I believe if the next game includes the squad they have stated they should be disqualified from the Tri-Nations and ignored.
Craig (South Africa)
The team we are sending over to NZ/AUS for the remaining matches of the Tri-Nations are being called second stringers. Beware, many of these players are South Africa's future and past stars, and have something to prove. The only way they can get into the World Cup squad now is to play out of their socks in the Tri-Nations tournament. Jake is no fool, and the only reason SA lost the test this past Saturday, was due to fatigue. The Boks ran out of steam in last 10 minutes, and its been coming after a solid 5 months of hard rugby. SA won the Super 14, watch them win the RWC too.
NeillR
Who cares - it's not going to do their RWC campaign any good, especially after we beat them on their home ground. Let them stay at home so that Jake can try and repair their fragile egos.Put it this way, I don't recall the Poms sending an understrength side down to play us just before the 2003 Cup.
Chris White (Singapore)
If I owned the Tv rights I would be calling my lawyers.
Adam
The problem of sending under strength sides on tour has been blighting rugby for sometime. New Zealand is just as guilty as anyone. I felt betrayed by NZRFU on last years Lions tour. five ex-pat Otago fans all went back to Dunedin to watch the Otago game. Otago's All Blacks were withheld and that effectively scuppered any chance of beating the Lions and killed off what could have been a great match. The old style tour taking on the might of the provinces in the end proved pointless. I feel stupid because I spent about $1000 on a weekend away to watch a dead game. All the hype was just rubbish and Newscorp are right to feel nervous. The rugby union has to learn not to set up competitions or games it has no intention of committing to.
AJ - Melbourne
Had Mr White made his intentions clear a few weeks ago rather than telling both Aust. & NZ after losing the 2nd test, I would be more inclined to believe they have a right to place a 2nd string team. It's a weak excuse to say NZ left their AB players out for part of the super 14 as the NZ Union were up front from the beginning. Also had SA committed in writing they would provide most of their best players and have done a U-turn then that stinks more than their dirty tactics on field. The spectators that have committed to purchasing tickets at premium prices should get some of their money back.
QGB Auckland
Other than the turnstiles not clicking as much, does it really matter. The way the Abs played on Sun morning, they would beat whoever the Springboks sent down. From what I saw we were well below our best as well. The Springboks squad thats coming down might surprise us all and actually be competitive.
Lets face it, it is the year of the B, C teams being sent travelling while the big guns rest up. lets instil a huge amount of confidence in the SA squad by giving them a lesson in rugby, thats the answer they need.
AB Fan (Singapore)
Graham Henry and Jake White have collectively raised the spectre of the denigration of Test rugby. Test rugby is about the best from one country playing the best from another. Certainly the remaining Tri Nations games, while they will be international by nature, will not be Tests. This threatens the financial aspirations of the national rugby unions. Another threat to Test rugby is the growth of wealthy franchise/club/ provincial teams , especially in the Northern hemisphere, where financial backers set the goals and challenge the ability of natioanl rugby boards to select the best players for the national side. Hopefully the controversy is timely - time for the International Rugby Board to get its act together, if such a thing is possible, and work out how to run rugby as a world sport.
Tim
Resting player for Super 14 and resting for major test matches are two very different things.
Graham Henry obviously had a plan from day 1 and his less capable counterpart Jake White has now realised the benefits of it.Test matches need to be treated with respect, especially when the Tri Nations are in full swing. I could understand resting players for a lower level team but NZ and Aussie are certainly not that.I can see a less skilled South African team going out there to take our top players down. It is just the way they play. They are by no means a overly skilled team, infact they are boring to watch and score lucky tries coming from scrappy turnovers rather than good running rugby.Shame on you SA I hope you receive the hiding you deserve.
Danny (Melbourne)
My biggest concern for the Springboks is team development...Continuity within the team. I would have thought that the tri-Nations 2007 would have been the best time to gel team/game plan.Tri Nations is just as intense as World Cup.The AB v SA game on Saturday really hurt the Saffa's and I think to save the AB's getting more of a psychological advantage with the rematch in NZ on the 14th July, Whitey has gone underground. From a coaches point of view,, Flakey Jake is missing the opportunity to improve on the hard work they have done thus far.How far has this bokkie team come since that 49 - 0 loss in AU last year? The Aussies claim they will now field their strongest combinations.The AB's will do the same. They (AU & NZ) are working on thier World Cup Teams for Sept. Crazy Saffa's.maybe they will lace the drinks in France.
Ed (Auckland)
I think what the Springboks are doing is a big call at this time of year. If they wanted to rest players why didn't they do it against they're games against the 2nd string English side & Samoa. I am not worried about them getting rested. To be honest the players being rested have had a big season and deserve a rest but will they have match fitness once the world cup comes. Im not sure. All I know is The All Blacks are on track & with this happening they are likely to win all cups this year. Australia shouldn't complain cause they could have rested their players but choose not too. If anyone has the right to complain it should be the South African supporters because the Boks have turned down the bid for the Tri-Nations which is the 2nd biggest trophy they could win. Nevermind. Go All Blacks.
Nzausse
Rugby like any professional sport is about entertainment. The arrogance of this sport worldwide is why it will never progress in market share against other codes.If it is true that the Bok or in fact any other supposed international rugby playing country doesn't send its top side any where in the world for test series the answer is very simple. Ask for your money back. You bought the tickets in good faith to see top entertainment, and if it is not going to happen ask for your money back.The IRB will get the message, less bums on seats, less income, declining fans. Its only the paying public than can fix this problem. Ask for your money back. Go on.
Paddy
We should rather look at the bigger picture that being, the RWC. SA picked their best 40 or so players, so they are rotating players.I wonder where this hails from? 'Rotation" Surely Mr Henry leads the way when it comes to resting players - surely we want to see the very best opposition. After all we are only flesh and blood and that includes Rugby players, or has our pleasure darkened our perceptions. C'mon guys stop your wingin', winning against the "Boks" showed us clearly that of rotation and resting our players.
Sai
What's the fuss all about? Its up to the playing country to decided what team to field especially with the world cup coming up. I guess more then the team managements the sponsors are more concerned as the number of people viewing the matches will be less then anticipated. Imagine the top Boks getting injured during the tri-nations series, then you will have the second string players playing in the world cup. If that is the case, Is the World Cup worth watching? Given the circumstances Boks looks like the only team which can give fight to our mighty AB's. I would like to watch the top players in action for the world cup rather then the tri nation series. Why? - because world cup comes only once every 4 years and tri nation series every year. Go the All Blacks.
Mike
How will the Aussies feel about their complaining if the SA BOptions to Reduce Under-deliveries "B" team beats them in the test in Oz? Then will they wish the Boks had brought their "C" team?
Paul McGregor
How can we criticize- we rested players in the Super 14 . South Africa won and now everybody including them said because they won, that South Africa was the team to beat until we beat them. If they rest players and we win the Tri-Nations, we can say that we have the form going into the cup. Who cares if they don't send their best? We beat there best anyway. They should have said they are rotating their players just like we did last year.
Paul (Sydney)
Crocodile tears from Graham Henry who started this when he pulled the bulk of the All Blacks team from the Super 14. It doesn't matter, as ultimately South Africa will play in the 6/8 Nations along with Argentina. A/NZ should develop a South Pacific tournament including Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, instead of pinching their players to bolster their national teams.
S, Wellington
Ha ha ha ha ha ... It is rich for Jock Hobbs to complain. Is he not the one that said we'd do everything to improve our chances at winning the world cup? Now the boot is on the other foot and he's complaining? Worried about unsold tickets for the home matches perhaps!
Gum boot (Northland)
Never mind the All Blacks, the Ponsonby women's team would be too good for this useless lot, and if they're busy then the Moerewa Under-18s would gladly take them on.
Stephen Oehley
I believe Jake White has every right to send a second string side to New Zealand and Australia. As White said, he did not have the opportunity to rest players during the super 14, so now he is taking the opportunity. The top springboks haven't had a real rest since the start of the super 14. White mentioned how all the other nations had a chance to rest their players, why not the boks? White does not want an injury prone, under-strength team playing in the world cup. They experienced the effects of having 5 of their best players out against the All Blacks (Smit, Du Preez, Habana, Spies, Smith) and I'm sure they don't want any additions to that injury list. The only reason negative of White's move is the lack of competition the Springboks will provide during the remainder of the Tri-Nations. But remember White is not trying to entertain audiences - this is purely a decision based on improving the Springboks chances in the World Cup.
Peter Watkins
Yet another reason not to watch rugby. Hopefully the World Cup will be worth all the negatives that have come out of the rugby arena recently.
Izako (Pukekohe)
As usual Jake overslept on the conditioning of key players; same way he overslept on building depth in all positions (read no backup with decent game time for John Smit, Percy Montgomery, Jean de Villiers, loosies and locks). Blaming the franchises is lame because when they heard the All Blacks are being withdrawn, they licked their lips at a chance of a first S14 title. Player management throughout the season would have saved all this. A second rate Bok-team will be cannon fodder for the AB's, but we need the game time so Carter and co won't complain.
Tane
SA wants to take their best-prepared team to the RWC and they feel this is the way to achieve this. All power to them I say. We, on the other hand, chose to rest our players early preferring to use the test season to build for the RWC. I'm sure the AB's preparation and development will be unaffected by what SA does. The ABs have their own plans and they seem to be building well. SA on the other hand put out their strongest available side at home against the ABs and still lost. We should take it as a compliment that SA have essentially admitted that they can't compete now and want to save themselves for the RWC. They need to stay home.
Dave in Cairns
South Africa waits until after its home Tests against full-strength Wallabies and All Blacks sides are played in front of capacity crowds in Cape Town and Durban and then springs the news that it is not going to reciprocate. How do you feel those who have bought your tickets thinking you would see the best? The difference between this action and others is that other teams were upfront about what they would do and didn't try to sneakily deceive. Why not just call off the African games and play an extra two against Australia? SA dont deserve to be in the Trri-Nations.
Buffster (Adelaide)
It definitely devalues the test arena. If I was going to the game especially after paying the ticket prices that are now charged I would be annoyed and seriously looking at getting my money back (unlike the Super 14 you cannot just show up at the gates to get a ticket on game day sans scalpers so the comparisons are chalk and cheese, although I hated NZ's decision as well). Also of prime concern is we know SA are not afraid to get dirty and target key players, if they are sending 2nd stringers what are the chances of players being sent in to take out key opposition players like McCaw for NZ and Larkham for the Wobblies? This will always be denied by SA but after seeing last Saturdays test I don't put it beyond the realm of possibility at all.
Paul (Lower Hutt)
The South Africans show signs of both panic and a lack of planning skills, as well as a gross ignorance of the ramifications of their actions on revenue for rugby worldwide in the future. Such demeaning behaviour by titans of test rugby, further devalues the sport for time/budget pressured loyal supporters and pushes test rugby further into the shadows of irrelevance for ordinary NZers.
Jules (Cape Town)
New Zealand and Australia are the biggest comrades when it comes to ridiculing the Springboks. What does it matter it our Bokke rest? What's good for the goose is good for the gander. The AB's had their rest during the Super14. Did SA moan about it? I can assure you that no one in South Africa even cared. Our boys have injuries & need resting and the fact that this is even a debate makes me realize just how arrogant you Kiwis are.
Hardyards
Jake Whites stance of resting his best players for the world cup has highlighted the need for the IRB to take a good look at the significance that test match rugby has lost when not played at a world cup. It seems to me that all sides now go through a 4 yearly cycle where the whole focus is preparing sides from world cup to world cup. I believe that there should be an incentive for sides to win test matches, seedings at a world cup would address the issue to some degree. The sanctity of test match rugby must be maintained at all costs, you need only look at soccer to see the model of whats to come should we let world cups become the "be all and end all". South Africa have the potential to be a threat if they are in a confident mood, I do not think that dropping tests to the AB's and the Wallabies will do anything but tarnish there confidence, especially when you take into consideration their record away from home. Good luck Jake, you're gonna need it.
Joeli Vidiri (Sydney)
Its sad to here that Jake White is coming here with a second string side in the middle of this years Tri Nations - maybe thats an answer to Graham Henry's resting of his top players during the another major rugby spectacle, the Super 14. I reckon John Connolly should follow in their footsteps and rest his top 20 players for the next major tournament, the RWC ... ha ha ha, he won't have any options but to play guys straight out of Randwick First Grade.
Stu
My main concern is that some of the 2nd tier players will be told to take out certain All Blacks (ie Richie and Dan) to force them out of world cup. If they get a ban it won't affect their top team - maybe they will get a gold watch.The disappointing thing is that the last two tests: SA vz Oz and SA vs ABs have been the only good games all year.
Bill Hales
Yes, they are certainly entitled to send under-strength teams. What must be remembered will all this is that rugby at this level is no longer a sport, it's a business enterprise. In business, so long as the laws of the land are not broken there are no further commitments to fair play, other than any brokered between the competing business teams. Money is now the key ingredient in rugby at this level, not national pride or an accessable sporting spectacle. If the South African hierarchy think it better from an economic perspective to win the world cup than to compete in test matches, then that's only different to degree rather than substance from actions taken by other rugby playing hierarchies, including ours.
Rua (Sydney)
Just step back and take a look at yourselves. I can't believe you people are complaining after what happened with the super 14. Just think how foolish you sound. Aussies have the right to complain since they have always used their best sides. You guys simply don't and will never have the right. It wasn't only the super 14. What about some of your previous tours? Have you all lost your minds? To read what has been written here is an utter disgrace. Just shows how narrow minded you all are quite common to a certain dictator who sold the world. Shame on all of you. Iam disgraced to call myself a Kiwi.
WorldCupForSpringboks
Jake are obligated to give coloured players and upcoming players a go, have heaps that is worth for the Boks. Think ABs and Aus should assist South Africa in transformation and stop whining, what they've been screaming about since 80's. The players selected include many future Boks like Wylon Murray, Bizmark + Jannie du Plessis, JP Pieterson, Johan Muller, Ruan Pienaar, Fortuin, Wayne Julies, Wynand Olivier, Chivanga, Hougaard, Deon Carstens, Hilton Lobberts, Watson. Also I rate Kobus Visagie + Jannie Du Plessis (injured the whole season) our best props and Bobby best 8'th and he needs gametime for world cup. Soem brilliant experience in Paulse,Ackerman, Van heerden, Bolla, Bob. Locks, we'll maybe still above Aus and NZ. These are the future Springboks, think Kiwi's and Ausies might be in for a surprise, So called watered down team might be better than the team that played last week. Also, these guys will perform better due to amount of games played by others, rightfully rested. Go the bokke!
jnjb
If South Africa wish to send their second stringers then the Wallabies and All Blacks need to use this opportunity as a training run to firstly demolish the opposition and then blood their second tier players against an opposition slightly better than the Fijians, French or Canadians.
AB Fan, Singapore
It's Jake White's decision, but a silly one. Likely consequences are that he has sacrificed the Springboks chances in both the Tri Nations and the World Cup. We know that the Tri Nations goes to those teams that win away games and he is sending weak teams away. We also now know that "reconditioned" players take considerable playing time to get back into the teamwork and physical interaction. With the Springboks best players only getting one international in before the World Cup, then their team will likely be underdone. Perhaps Mr White just wants to rest on his Super 14 laurels.
J I L (Hamilton)
In my view South Africa are a bunch of sooks. Beaten at home they have packed a sad and have basically said out loud that if they can't beat the AB's at home there's no way they can beat them in NZ. They have done this so they have an excuse for not being able to win the Tri-Nations. Pathetic.
Macca
Jake's done whats best for his WC bid and good on him for being so pragmatic. We did the same with S14 reconditioning, what's the difference? The difference is preparation v's damage control that's what. We're in a better state of readiness for WC than our TN mates & this is a perfect opportunity to rest our leading players & build on their conditioning programme, give our B team boys a bit of a crack & build their experience... So fellow Kiwi's stop ya moaning & thank Jake
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