Under-fire Springbok coach Jake White believes Australian attacks on his under-strength team will harden the resolve of his players in next week’s Tri-Nations Test against the Wallabies.
Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief executive John O’Neill has reportedly said the ARU will quantify the financial damage caused by South Africa’s decision to rest top players ahead of this year’s World Cup and may seek compensation from his South African counterparts.
Saturday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that White told travelling South African journalists that criticism levelled at the Springboks threatens to rebound on the Wallabies next Saturday.
”I have no doubt that the pressure is now all on Australia,” White was quoted as saying. ”They are saying that they are going to run all over us. Well, good luck to them. We’re going to give as good as we get.
”It seems as though the most important person for the Wallabies is the bus driver who will take them to the stadium. All they have to do, it seems, is turn up.”
ARU boss O’Neill has indicated Australia will discuss the possibility of compensation with South African officials over the selection of a second-string side for the Tri-Nations Test.
”If this was a normal commercial transaction and one party has arguably not met their part of the bargain and it has cost the other party money, you’d be looking at some claim for damages,” O’Neill told Friday’s Australian newspaper.
White remains unrepentant and reportedly told South African rugby writers here for the game: ”If in the last week of the Tri-Nations, New Zealand have already won it and they put out a team of second stringers, then am I entitled to ask them to put out their best team?
”If the answer is no, then why is everyone jumping up and down about this decision? Last year the All Blacks admitted they played an A and B side against us and no one said a thing.” — Sapa-AFP