Champion Boks are playing second fiddle again: Corne Krige

The Springboks – if they take part – will again have been handed the short end of the stick after the revised Rugby Championship schedule was released on Thursday, according to former Bok skipper Corne Krige.

The World Cup winners will now play the last game of the competition on December 12, against Argentina – a date originally scheduled for the All Blacks’ match against Australia.

But following criticism by the All Blacks players that they would have to spend Christmas away from their friends and families – while serving two weeks in quarantine following their December 12 match – the bosses of Sanzaar agreed to move their game. The two Australasian sides will now meet in the opening match of the competition, on October 31, with the Boks set to face Argentina in Newcastle in the final game on December 12.

“Yes, it might again be a case of us getting to play second fiddle, but I think everyone would welcome the idea of seeing the Boks at least playing some rugby this year,” said Krige.

The former flanker and Bok captain added, however, that the national team’s best players would need a lot more game time before they could travel to Australia with confidence and belief they’d put up a good showing.

The country’s best players struggled and showed plenty of rust in the Springbok Showdown at Newlands last weekend.

“Our local competition only starts this weekend, but I think it could be beneficial for us to still go ahead and play in the Rugby Championship, even if it is with emerging players,” said Krige.

“South African rugby would reap the benefits in the long run.”

Former Springbok flank Corne Krige. Picture: Gallo Images

SA Rugby spokesperson Andy Colquhoun said a decision on the Boks’ participation in the Championship couldn’t be postponed for much longer.

“It’s getting closer, but no timeline has been set for an announcement as yet,” he said.

Sanzaar and tournament hosts Australia announced on Thursday that the 12-match tournament will now be played across seven weeks, with Australia’s clash against New Zealand moved from 12 December to 31 October at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.

South Africa’s Test against Argentina on 12 December has been moved to Newcastl’s McDonald Jones Stadium to close out the tournament.

The remainder of the draw is otherwise unchanged with five straight weeks of double-headers beginning at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on 7 November.

Revised draw for the 2020 Rugby Championship:

Match day one – Saturday 31 October

ANZ Stadium, Sydney, 10:45am SA time: Australia v New Zealand

Match day two – Saturday 7 November

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 8am SA time: Argentina v South Africa; 10:45am SA time: Australia v New Zealand

Match day three – Saturday 14 November

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney, 8am SA time: New Zealand v Argentina; 10:45am SA time: South Africa v Australia

Match day four – Saturday 21 November

ANZ Stadium, Sydney, 8am SA time: New Zealand v South Africa; 10:45am SA time: Australia v Argentina

Match day five – Saturday 28 November

McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, 8am SA time: Argentina v Australia; 10:45am SA time: South Africa v New Zealand

Match day six – Saturday 5 December

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney, 8am SA time: Argentina v New Zealand; 10:45am SA time: Australia v South Africa

Match day seven – Saturday 12 December

McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, 10:45am SA time: South Africa v Argentina

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