South African rugby bosses on Wednesday insisted a player contract row was not a distraction ahead of their opening Tri-Nations rugby test against the All Blacks here on Saturday.
Coach Jake White today announced two changes to the side which dispatched the Pacific Islanders 38-24 last Saturday, with lock Albert van den Berg returning from the international wilderness to replace the injured Gerrie Britz and first-choice halfback Fourie du Preez picked ahead of Bolla Conradie.
White was doing his utmost to put the dispute raging between the South African Rugby Union and the South African Players Association into the background this week.
The ongoing dispute centres around a range of contractual issues related to player payment structure, player representation on the players association, endorsement entitlements and top-up payments.
Only three players are presently contracted to the union, with the rest of the tourists still surviving on individual match payments.
There had been a meeting on Sunday between a group of selected players and officials from the two South African rugby bodies and White hoped it could be put aside this week.
”I’ve never wanted to be distracted by anything back home, any administrative issues,” he said.
”This week we’ve put even more emphasis on the fact the All Blacks are the number one nation in the world…. We can’t be distracted by anything that happens off the field.
”You don’t want to come off after a test match and say ‘if only we hadn’t concentrated on those other issues’. You only get one bash against the All Blacks in New Zealand and I’d like to think those players gave everything they could to win it.”
Captain John Smit said the players wouldn’t be repeating their protest act of last weekend when they wore white armbands during the Pacific Islanders test.
”Everything has been totally focused on the All Black team and that’s the way it’s going to be, we’ve only got one job this week,” Smit said.
The issue was clouded this week after lock Victor Matfield returned home from Australia after being diagnosed with a knee injury.
He has since been picked to play a Currie Cup match for the Blue Bulls this weekend, sparking suggestions the injury was a smokescreen for one of the most outspoken players on the matter of player rights.
However, Matfield has denied the claim, saying that a specialist had cleared him.
South Africa:
Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Maruis Joubert, De Wet Barry, Jean de Villiers, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Fourie du Preez, Jacques Cronje, AJ Venter, Schalk Burger, Albert van den Berg, Bakkies Botha, Eddie Andrews, John Smit (captain), Os du Randt. Reserves: Brent Russell, Gaffie du Toit, Bolla Conradie, Quinton Davids, Joe
van Niekerk, Faan Rautenbach, Danie Coetzee. – Sapa-AFP