Readers slam Botha blunder

Monday October 25 2004

Public wants truth and transparency

Most of our readers have shown their anger surrounding Blue Bulls centre Ettienne Botha's shock exclusion from the 32-man Springbok 'Grand Slam' touring squad for the British Isles and Argentina.

Many arm-chair Bok selectors have had it with the ineffectual explanations that the top brass of SA Rugby have given surrounding the criteria for Bok selections.

A few of our readers were content with Bok coach Jake White's touring team. They believe that Quotas are a part of South African rugby, and we must get on with it.

SA FANS ARE NOT STUPID:

"What is really sad about the naming of the SA squad is that the rugby administrators and selectors of SA has given the rugby supporter in SA a slap in the face and basically told us that we're stupid and that we don't know our rugby. Why don't they just come out with the naked truth and say that some team selections is based on race and not merit.

"My three-year old will recognise Ettienne Botha as the best centre in SA this season, but to tell me that he is good but there were players that was even better is really saying I'm a 'a**hole' and don't know my rugby.

"And to then go and select guys like Bobo and Julies who now apparently had better seasons than Etienne is really a slap in the face of the rugby public and Etienne."
- Stefan Goosen, South Africa

"I won't blame Etienne if he goes to greener pastures and make a few bucks. I'm sure there are clubs in the UK that will queue up for his talents.

"Don't tell me I'm being racist, I'm not the one that labels the players as being black, coloured and white. I only see the rugby and the talent, and what I'm seeing is a player that is going on the wrong tour.

"Please Jake, you've got our respect and admiration, don't go the root of so many predecessors."
- Anonymous

"How much money would anyone want to put on it that soon these idiots will demand a certain number of non-white players in the starting line-up.

"It just amazes me that someone can have so little self-respect.

"I can not believe that someone like Ettienne Botha can't make the squad..

"If I was Ettienne - and all the other players that can't make the squad because of their skin colour - I would leave South Africa and play my rugby overseas.

"He is good enough to be selected for most international teams but sadly will never play for South Africa.

"My respect for Jake White is not that high anymore. At least tell the world the real reason for choosing some of these players if it is not your real choice. And stop being in this state of self-denial!"
- Bjorn, Australia

"I just want to know what did Ettienne Botha do wrong for not being in the squad?"
- Emile Pieter, South Africa

"Jake White and his superiors must not make out the average South African rugby supporter to be completely stupid by trying to tell us that they chose the best available players on merit for the end of the year tour.

"They are making a mockery of the word merit.

"What the hell must Ettienne Botha still do to make the Bok team. Why have such high standards of achievement goals been set on him, but not on any other damn player.?

"What on earth does a player like Jonghikhaya Nokwe do to deserve his place? Why not a player like John Daniels or Gavin Passens or Eddie Fredericks if White was looking for speed out wide?
 
"Hanyani Shimange or Gcobani Bobo could not even make there provincial sides. Ashwin Willemse has not even played a game to make the team. Is he really such a wonder boy? Would a white player who was injured for long receive the same treatment? Probably never !!!
 
"Shame on the selectors and stop lying to us right in our faces - SA Rugby has not discarded the Quota system - it is still being forced on us and probably on Jake White as well."
- Thinus Visser, South Africa

"The team could be better. There should not be so much politics in rugby. It is starting to destroy the sport. The best players should be selected for the Springboks.

"There should be no quotas.  There are plenty of black or coloured players that will make the
team such as Bryan Habana, Eddie Andrews, Breyton Paulse, Ashwin Willemse and Tonderai Chavhanga will when he is eligible.

"Everybody knows that Bobo, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Solly Tyibilika, Wayne Julies, Jonghikhaya Nokwe, Hanyani Shimange and Tim Dlulane are not international material.

"Some of them aren't even provincial. Great players like Luke Watson, Ettienne Botha, Werner Greef, Richard bands, and Gary Botha have been left in the cold. 

"This is just not fair to them or to the loyal Springbok fans. I was very pleased when Brian Van Rooyen said he was going to get rid of the quotas system. All I can say is that van Rooyen is a liar. 

"In fact the Quota has gone from 6 players to 10. I do not blame Jake for this because it is not his fault, this rule must be changed."
- Stefan, Toronto

"I believe that from the players selected for the up coming Bok tour we can select the best team, however lets pray that the best 15 remain fit, as the squad is most certainly not representative of the best rugby players in SA.

"I will use one example, the centre pairing of De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert is a winning combination, if one gets injured the replacement would be, Bobo???????? whilst the top Currie Cup try scorer is wasting his time in Argentina.

"We have to feel sorry for a class player like Botha, that he has become another victim of WINDOW DRESSING. I thought that Jake White had been given autonomy, this is quite clearly NOT the case."
- Preston Fairweather, UK

"Best team, you must be joking! Passens, Daniels, Seconds, Welsh, Fredericks, Pitout, Chumani Booi and Mametsa are a hundred times better than Nokwe. 

"How on earth can Jake explain the inclusion of Willemse. Where is Ettienne Botha, both he and Adrian Jacobs are better than "Stampkar" (crash-ball) Julies and Bobo. Jaco vd Westhuizen cannot dictate the game as Andre Pretorius and Derick Hougaard.
"Both Gary and Schalk Britz are better than John Smit. Even Danie Coetzee is a better bet!

"I Have never heard of Dlulane, is he better than Wannenburg, Scholtz, Wikus or Nico Breedt? Definitely not! Tyibilika and Shimange are not even the first choice for their various provinces.

"Shocking Mr White, shocking! Will Willemse, Julies, Nokwe or Dlulane play in any of the Test matches? If not, what is the merit to include them in the team?
 
"I watched the Cavaliers v Bulldogs Final last Friday evening. Not a single player was Super 12 standard. Yet a number were chosen for the SA 'A' team, which is even a bigger joke!

"This 'A' (rather C) team will see Rudy Joubert's waining coaching star finally disappear.

"Oelschig and Willem Fataal (Fatal) was responsible for the deterioration of the Cheetahs back-line. And now they are in the SA 'A' team."
- Jannie Claasen, South Africa

"Racism is alive and kicking, especially in our sport. A government with hidden agendas that screams of racism.

"Look at the Bok team, its a team filled with quota players that were chosen purely on the colour of their skin.

"When a player plays for his country (black or white player) the person should at least be selected because he is a brilliant athlete in his sport. The question would be: What is merit?"
- Leon Moolman, South Africa

"Didn't Brian van Rooyen state that players will be picked only on merit? If this is the case SA Rugby has no clue what merit is?

"As a true Western Province supporter I feel very sad for stars like Ettienne Botha, Gary Botha, Schalk Brits and Willem de Waal. True stars of the of the countries premier competition who are kept out of the Bok side due to 'transformation'.

"Why pick a winger from the 'second division' when you have two top quality finishers in the Bulls side. SA Rugby was back when we won the Tri-Nations, but in a true South African style we are going to screw it up again. Sorry to the blokes who really deserved their places and didn't get it.

"Maybe we will see a few more Clyde Rathbones leaving South Africa to come back and haunt us when we face them with our 'transformation side'!
- Renier Lourens, South Africa

"Truth is the most important word in the Universe. Jake White and his fellow selectors is going to learn this fact the hard way. How can he indirectly state that Bobo is a better centre than Botha? How can a team who ruled the Currie Cup competition only have five players in a squad of 33?
 
"I don't care how successfully Jake White is at the moment, when you lie to the public you don't last. Tell the people you know this is not the best team, - tell them you are politically forced to take Bobo and Julies with. Success is a funny thing. It can leave quicker than it came. If you don't believe Mr White, ask Nick Mallet and the SA cricket captain."
- Eduard, South Africa

"NO!!!!

"What more must the Botha brother do to be included in the Springbok squad. Bobo had not played enough rugby this year but still he is selected??

"This again boils down to the *%$£%$£ Quota system. That system should be taken and be abandoned ASAP!!! We are going to loose players that are of super quality.

"Not all coloured player can be regarded as disadvantaged, Bobo has had a few years of rugby behind him, he must be picked on merit, and he was not picked on merit.

"You play your heart out, you are clearly the best Currie Cup centre in SA, you are the top try scorer, you have the experience. And all Jake White can say about Ettienne is the other players did not do anything to loose their position in the Bok squad. BUT HELL nor did they do enough to retain them!!!!!

"Then we ask why are all our player moving abroad, I would if I was in their shoes. It's sad but true." 
- Eugene van der Berg - South African in UK

GET OVER IT:

"Of course there are going to be quota players in a Bok squad, this is South Africa for heavens sake so get over it.

"Well done Jake, this is a great team that can bring home the Slam! Got to feel for the Botha's though, especially as Ettienne had a phenomenal Currie Cup Final.

"But with such a big squad most of the 'quota' players like Nokwe and Bobo won't get much game time so its al-right."
- James, South Africa

"No controversy here. The Springbok youth policy is outstanding like the All Blacks. It's time more professional international rugby sides extend their squads.

"As the English realise, you can't have all your best players in one basket because of injuries. Even with Johnny Wilkinson playing for England, The Boks will win in a canter.
- Paul, South Africa

"Looking at the probable test side and the bench, who else should be in there? The rest of the squad should be available to give future players some exposure, and that is what has happened. A few new faces, and most of them young and exciting prospects for the future.

"Etienne Botha may feel hard done by, but he did miss two easy tackles in the final that led to tries, and who is he going to replace? Bobo?

"Bobo will more than likely not play a Test, but may get a run on. He is a proven Test centre that is available, and we have four other test centres ahead of him, and Brian Habana. So Bobo, is probably there to get re-accustomed to the squad."
- Rob Heath, South Africa.