Australia flanker George Smith has reacted angrily to suggestions South African players are offering each other rewards for pulling out his dreadlocks during their Tri-Nations clash this weekend.
The Sydney Morning Herald asked Smith about Springbok backrower Joe van Niekerk’s comments to a South African newspaper that a colleague offered ”$100 to the man who came off the field with one of Smith’s dreadlocks” during a 2004 Test in Perth.
The Herald said Smith did not see the funny side when asked whether similar inducements could be offered during Saturday night’s Test in Brisbane.
”I definitely won’t cop it sweet if it happens on the weekend,” Smith said. ”If someone does pull my hair, I am going to react to it.”
South Africa captain John Smit slammed the report as ”ludicrous” and said he was sick of his team facing accusations of dirty tactics whenever they played in Australia.
”We haven’t had an incident of dirty play in the last two-and-a-half seasons,” he said, referring back to a spiteful 2003 encounter when Botha was accused of biting and eye-gouging former Wallaby Brendan Cannon.
England captain Pat Sanderson was accused of pulling Smith’s hair in the first Test against the Wallabies in Sydney last month, earning a retaliatory elbow to the head in the process. — AFP
