ANDY COLQUHOUN, Edinburgh | Monday 1.00pm.
BY Jim Telfer’s careful standards his Sunday evening comments on the Springboks’ world cup preparations were wildly inflammatory.
Out of form and underdone was his verdict and although he is probably right it was a break from the traditional homage-paying in which opposing coaches usually indulge.
“Our big advantage is that they haven’t played together as a unit in a while,” said Telfer. “They last played on August 14 and although they won that game [against Australia] they weren’t convincing.
“They are not coming here as a team in form although they are still formidable.
“They’ve also had some rather odd warm-up games [against Eastern Province and South Western Districts] and I would have preferred an extra game myself.”
The fact that his team’s last two warm-up games have been far from convincing victories of the might of Edinburgh Reivers and the Glasgow Reds – sides that the Boks’ midweek side put to the sword a year – had clearly slipped his mind.
He might also have added that several key Springboks were also coming back from injury but he is probably saving that to stoke up his own players later in the week.
That will take place in Troon — one of the venues of the Open golf championship — and a long haul from Edinburgh, sitting as it does on the opposite coast.
Telfer explained at a Sunday evening press conference that the
decision had been taken to avoid the squad becoming too comfortable in Edinburgh. Well, they don’t need to escape the RWC-mad autograph hunters.
The SRU reported that were still 5,000 tickets available for the match with a week to go – one dreads to think how empty the stadiums are going to be for the matches involving Spain and Uruguay.
They have though relented on one of those typical killjoy northern hemisphere rules of not allowing flags into the grounds. For the world cup supporters are even being encouraged to bring in their banners.
Meanwhile the Springboks were drug tested as part of Rugby World Cup’s get tough policy on Saturday. The results were not expected immediately. — MWP