Springbok skipper Corne Krige admitted he’d described England captain Martin Johnson as a dirty player but said it was an off-the-record remark and not designed to stir up trouble ahead of their Rugby World Cup Group C clash.
The South Africans, World Cup winners in 1995, arrived in Perth on Sunday and were greeted by hundreds of supporters.
Krige said the comments on his England opposite came at the end of a long interview with a South African publication and he hadn’t expected he would be quoted. Johnson and the England camp didn’t respond.
”I was shocked,” to see it in print, he said. ”It was irresponsible on my side but also on [the journalist’s] side.”
Asked if the comments were accurate, Krige said: ”I don’t want to say what I believe or what I don’t believe. It’s not my place to comment on [Johnson] in the papers.”
Regardless, he didn’t think the published criticism would give England any extra motivational ammunition ahead of their October 18 clash at Subiaco Oval.
”They won by 50 points in November, so there’s no reason they should not have that advantage any way,” said Krige.
England thrashed South Africa 53-3 at Twickenham in their last head-to-head and later accused the Springboks of rough tactics. The Australians accused South Africa of eye-gouging and biting following a Tri-Nations match in July.
Those allegations preceded the racism scandal that enveloped the pre-World Cup Springboks’ camp.
The problem began when white lock Geo Cronje allegedly refused to share a room with black teammate Quinton Davids. Although he didn’t publicly state his reasons, Cronje was widely accused of racism.
A South African rugby union panel cleared Cronje of racism and apologies were offered to Davids, including one from the governing African National Congress.
But Springboks media manager Mark Keohane then quit and inflamed the situation, saying he couldn’t work in an environment where racism and prejudice were excused and covered up.
That sparked a further investigation, which was adjourned last month to allow the Springboks to focus on the World Cup.
South African coach Rudolf Straeuli said he was leading a ”very unified team” at the World Cup and denied the racism allegation had been shelved. The issue would be dealt with, he said.
”It’s issues that happen in all countries. It happened in South Africa, we deal with it,” he said. ”We move forward and it makes us a better team, a better country and we’re proud.”
Straeuli also refused to rebuke Krige for his comments on Johnson.
”Maybe you have to investigate the two players and the two captains [Krige and Johnson] and look at their records yourself,” Straeuli told reporters. ”Look at who has been yellow-carded the most, who has been off the field the most.”
South Africa opens its campaign against Uruguay next Saturday.
Samoa, Georgia and England are the other teams in Group C.
The rugby union World Cup kicks off on Friday with defending champion and host Australia against Argentina in Sydney. — Sapa-AP