Springboks killing Test match rugby is something we have heard quite a bit about lately. Is this reality though? As real as unicorns, the tooth fairy and the Loch Ness monster.
Much of the commotion stems from an interview that was misinterpreted by those who read the title rather than what David Campese actually stated about this scenario that surfaced in New Zealand.
SPRINGBOKS KILLING TEST MATCH RUGBY? NO!
The Springboks are certainly not the most popular team in the world of rugby. As previously published, the Springboks do not play for international fame and acceptance. They play for their country and their people. That seems obvious, and most teams claim the same. The reality is that this team actually lives this concept.
THE MYTH THAT SPRINGBOK FANS ARE THE MOST OBNOXIOUS
When it comes to overseas pundits, armchair critics and “fish and chips” lower league players and keyboard warriors, the Springbok team and supporters are the worst of the worst. Cheats. Full of excuses. Ref-bashers.
The strange reality is that fans and administrators of most teams have been guilty of doing exactly the same thing they accuse Springbok fans of doing.
Springbok fans did not abuse Wayne Barnes after the Rugby World Cup Final. Admittedly, Tom Curry was abused on social media after Bongigate. It wasn’t Springboks fans who abused Bongi Mbonambi. Who sent death threats to Cobus Reinach’s family?
THE DOUBLE STANDARDS
The final “cherry on the cake” was the then All Blacks coach, Ian Foster, publicly stating that he had submitted a letter to World Rugby to “clarify” refereeing decisions during the final. The All Blacks are not Snow White innocent when they lose. The “Spirit of the game” and all that stuff that the Springboks and their fans are held accountable to? There can’t be two sets of standards.
THE MYTH OF THE SPRINGBOKS KILLING TEST MATCH RUGBY
Filling their home stadiums is astonishing for a side that is dominating Test match rugby. It won’t be difficult to play away from home either. No fan of Ireland, France, the Wallabies, or the All Blacks will stay home because their side is facing the dull and hated Springboks. at the hopes of being present when their side defeated the Rugby World Cup champions, they will want to be at the stadium.
We might even argue that Test match rugby is not being ruined by the Springboks.
but giving each Test they take an advantage in. Slaying the dragon is a goal shared by everybody.
THE BORING BOKS MYTH
As they say, beauty is subjective and depends on the viewer (or beer bearer). So the scrum penalties for the Boks milk. So does any squad with a dominant pack wherever in the globe. Watch the Premiership this weekend to witness just that, along with raucous crowd support.
The fact that the Boks can deploy two forward packs of comparable caliber gives them an unfair edge. In what way is that an unjust benefit? The fact that the Boks are far worse off financially than the majority of the top 10 rugby-playing nations is unimportant to anyone. The South Africans don’t either. They maximize the resources at their disposal.
THE SOLUTION TO SAVE RUGBY FROM THE ANTI-RUGBY SPRINGBOKS
This is a rather easy task. Beat them with the sultry rugby that, based on reports, all rugby fans desire to witness. To succeed in rugby, all you have to do is defeat the world’s finest defense. The Springboks receive no credit for their victory on the scoreboard.
In all honesty, no one, not even the most ardent supporter of the Wallabies, All Blacks, or any other side, would choose to watch a 3-nil Rugby World Cup triumph over playing expansive rugby and losing. There isn’t a space for comments on the Webb-Ellis trophy. For artistic impression, there are no points given.
People who think the Springboks are ruining Test rugby may go back to their fantastical world, where they are flying elephants, unicorns, and tooth fairies.
