Nick Mallett questioned South Africa’s presence in the Champions Cup

ByDavid Mitchell
Copiar enlace

After the first two dates in the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cupplayers and staff members Sharks and Stormersof South Africawere dissatisfied with the tournament schedule. Now, the former coach of the Springboks, Nick Mallett, joined the questions of the South African teams in the competition. All rugby, in Disney+.

In it boks office podcastMallett didn’t hold back in his review of the weekend’s action, calling it “terrible” and questioning why South African teams aren’t fielding their best players in the Champions Cup. “It was a surprise and a terrible weekend. It all started with the Bulls. They dominated and had possession, but they ended up losing the game against Northampton 30-20. Nobody had anticipated that result and you could see it from the Saints players “They were happy, and it’s very frustrating from a South African point of view.”said.

Then, the former coach added: “Then two very weak teams, Sharks and Stormers, received 50 points each. It was a really disappointing weekend”. Likewise, I suggest that the teams do their best for the United Rugby Championship and leave aside the Champions Cup or the Challenge Cup: “There are many things we need to talk about here about the relevance of this competition for South African teams. If we can’t choose our strongest team to play in the strongest tournament, what’s the point?”.

“A very important point is that the Springboks play all year round, the URC and Champions Cup players tour the southern hemisphere in June-July, then rest until the end of July and August and start slowly in September, then “The boys start playing again.”Mallett analyzed the scheduling difficulties that South African teams are going through when playing a tournament with clubs from the northern hemisphere. “Our boys are going straight to the Rugby Championship after the tour in July and it is difficult. “The boys are inundated with rugby at the moment.”added the former Boks head coach.

Finally, Mallett highlighted: “Any international player, when they come back from the northern hemisphere tour at the end of the year, must want to say ‘I don’t want to see a rugby ball or a coach or a rugby pitch for another two months, just give me December and January off completely.’ ‘and we can’t do that’.

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.