Andy Colquhoun
Rugby World Cup
Once again the eager Springboks have been robbed of the reassuring sight of the Cary Grant of the South African game riding down the hill and into town. Sheriff Nick Mallett’s huge sigh of relief has been replaced by a tight- lipped grimace.
Henry Honiball has again withdrawn at the last minute from the Springbok side to play Uruguay on Friday. It leaves the Springbok coach’s Rugby World Cup jigsaw frustratingly incomplete.
It also raises serious questions about South Africa’s strategy for their likely quarter-final against England in Paris next weekend. Do they pitch in Honiball for his first Test of the year with virtually no competitive rugby behind him since mid-August?
Of course Honiball is a law unto himself. He is unlike just about any other player in the competition in terms of style and temperament and Mallett may be sorely tempted to throw him in regardless.
Apart from his inherent talent he also forces opposition sides to make a plan to counter him. A Springbok side is a different proposition with Honiball in the number 10 jersey.
Hampden Park – the rebuilt but venerable home of Scottish football – will echo depressingly to scattered applause when the sides run out.
The Springboks will obviously win and as a contest it is a non-starter, and, but for the absence of Honiball, it will present the Springboks with the chance to thoroughly rehearse their lines before the curtain goes up on the real tournament in a week’s time.
Mallett has brought into the scrum the ballast of the experienced Krynauw Otto for the beanpole Albert van den Berg in clear preparation to counter the menace of the English pack.
But will Honiball now be fit for the quarters? Not a peep has been heard about Honiball’s recent lack of match practice let alone rugby in 1999.
While the Blessed Bob Skinstad has had every minute of every game minutely analysed, the Honourable Henry has been sitting on the physio’s couch for most of the year.
Uruguay, of course, do not see themselves as tackle bags. Having conquered Spain they’ll be intent on further eclipsing their fellow makeweights by also limiting the Boks to fewer than a half-century of points.
Lost Teros have a competent pack – modelled on their neighbours from across the River Plate in Argentina – but their best hopes lie in the energetic law- bending in which Spain indulged.
If referee Peter Marshall keeps their hands out of the ruck and their feet onside, the Boks may have the freedom to make up for their Spanish nightmare.