Mike Greenaway: Boks find welcome shelter from storm

COMMENT

The Springboks will not be aware of it but the greatest positive for them ahead of tomorrow's test is the fact that they are in New Zealand, substantially removed from the rugby drama that is raging back here on the southern tip of this turbulent continent.

Long-suffering supporters are just about ready to take to the streets.

All they want is for the Springboks to have the off-field stability that is taken for granted by South Africa's rivals.

No such luck. This week, in the prelude to a test against New Zealand, bitter fighting between our administrators has hogged television and radio news bulletins and dominated the front pages of the print media.

The fighting has raged on a number of fronts but nearly all of the discontent can be traced to the the South African Rugby Football Union's abject failure to deal swiftly and efficiently with the stormy issue of player remuneration.

Rugby fans here simply cannot get their heads around the fact that 10 years after the game turned professional, this vital issue has still not been settled.

And for heaven's sake, how can it possibly happen that pay negotiations are taking place a week before a Tri-Nations match? Surely it could have been settled before the international season began!

The consolation for Springbok fans is that the agreement reached this week between the players and their president, Brian van Rooyen, was a victory for player power. Is it the lift they needed before the All Blacks, or have the sideshows significantly distracted them from their game preparation?

Last Friday, in Australia, the players met Van Rooyen and they would have been thrilled - not to mention gobsmacked - when their boss gave in to virtually all their demands.

The problem is that van Rooyen, who was overseas to attend a SANZAR meeting, was acting unilaterally and disregarded the work-in-progress of his "Player Remuneration Task Team" that was working with the South African Rugby Players Association (Sarpa) to resolve the concerns of the players.

The chairman of the task team, van Rooyen's deputy Keith Parkinson, subsequently resigned from Sarfu because he had not been consulted. He did not know the meeting was taking place. Nor did Sarpa.

In essence, van Rooyen agreed to return to the system of contracting players, which gives them the security of a monthly salary as opposed to the current system of inflated match fees but no salaries.

In 2002, then Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli disbanded the old system of guaranteed player salaries because many out-of-favour players on contracts were earning good money even though they were not playing.

Instead, he trebled the match fees, which meant those who played earned the big bucks and those who did not earned nothing.

The players' discontent at having no guaranteed income culminated in a protest during their match against the Pacific Islanders.

The players wore white armbands to show their support for Sarpa, which has been campaigning on their behalf.

Enter van Rooyen, who did an extraordinary about-turn to give the players what they wanted. He had earlier heavily criticised the players demands. He said they did not deserve to be paid.

The gung-ho management style of van Rooyen has irked Parkinson. In a damning statement, Parkinson said: "For the past six months, the administration of South African rugby has operated against a background of constant turbulence and confusion as the new leadership [van Rooyen who took office in January] has endeavoured to place its own particular stamp on the way forward for the game.

"In the process, mistakes have undoubtedly been made, and it has proved a most difficult period.

"To this end, I held a lengthy meeting with ... van Rooyen at which I tabled no less than 18 problematic issues that were of grave concern to me, and which I believed required speedy resolution.

"Significantly, I have had no response whatsoever from the president since our meeting, and I can therefore draw my own conclusions in this regard."

Parkinson' sudden resignation has stunned South African rugby.

The public shuddered when the long-serving Parkinson said he had "lost confidence, trust and respect for the leadership of SA Rugby".

And they shook their heads in disbelief when it emerged that lock forward Victor Matfield was sent home from Australia for reasons other than injury.

Van Rooyen is furious with Matfield because he is suing Sarfu after the promise of a contract made by Straeuli last year has allegedly not been honoured.

The party line from Christchurch is that Matfield came home because he is injured - so why then is he playing for the Blue Bulls tomorrow in a Currie Cup game?

The credibility of South Africa's rugby administrators is at an all-time low - and that takes some doing. The word from the Springbok camp is that the players have distanced themselves from all sideshows and are totally focused on beating the All Blacks.

It is easy to say this and only they know the truth.

One thing is for sure, it will require a special Springbok team to end the five-year losing streak in New Zealand - a team that is mentally focused and which has no weaknesses from 1 to 15.

Unfortunately for the Boks, there are chinks in their armour. The Boks this year have relied heavily on mighty Os du Randt as their scrumming spearhead.

But the All Blacks have done their homework. Du Randt battles against shorter men and his power will be neutralised by Greg Somerville.

Behind du Randt is the spindly figure of lock Albert van den Berg. He cannot make his provincial team these days and the country was shocked when he was called up to replace Matfield. He then went straight into the starting lineup because Gerrie Britz was injured against the Pacific Islanders.

He is surely a weak link, but the greatest difference between the teams is in the most important position of all.

Flyhalf Jaco van der Westhuyzen has been erratic at best this season. Every good thing he does is offset by a mistake. He is yet to control a game. He is too "French" for his team's good.

The Boks will be competitive tomorrow, but they are not the finished article. A win is a big ask.

* Mike Greenaway is chief rugby writer for the Natal Mercury.