Australian rugby commentator Brendan Cannon apologised on Friday for calling Springbok rugby coach Peter de Villiers a clown during a discussion on that country’s Fox Sports programme Rugby Club.
During an interview on Wednesday night, Cannon said: “I can’t believe that senior players like John Smit and Victor Matfield allow themselves to be controlled by this guy. He is a clown. He surely does not coach the team.”
Springbok spokesperson Anthony Mackaiser said that if he did not apologise for the remark, the show would no longer have on-air access to the team.
The apology was then aired on Friday afternoon, according to Fox Sports’s website. SA Rugby spokesperson Andy Colquhoun said the team was satisfied with the apology and regarded the matter as closed.
‘Misinterpreted’
Meanwhile, also on Friday, De Villiers denied saying the All Blacks were being favoured by match officials, which has been interpreted as suggesting a conspiracy against the Springboks.
“In no manner did I ever suggest that the All Blacks were being favoured — by match officials or anyone else — because their country was hosting the Rugby World Cup next year,” De Villiers said.
“I have stated many times during the past weeks that the All Blacks were better than us in their victories in Auckland and Wellington. Whilst I have also expressed unhappiness over some refereeing issues, this is a separate matter altogether and has no bearing on what I said.”
His comment, also on Rugby Club, was based on “the general view that part of the success of any World Cup event rests on the fact that the host nation has a winning team.
“This view has been misinterpreted and I wish to make it clear that I had no other intention than to make that specific point. Nevertheless, I regret that this may have created the wrong impression and raised undue concern for Sanzar [SA, New Zealand and Australia rugby] and the RWC 2011 organisers.”
He reportedly said: “I’ve got my own observations about the last two Tests, and maybe I can’t say it in public, but we do have a World Cup in New Zealand next year, and maybe it was the right thing for them to win the games so they can attract more people to the games next year.” — Sapa