Clive Woodward says Transformation selected Boks are not contenders

Woodward: Only 3 teams can win 2019 RWC

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Cape Town - Former England coach Clive Woodwardbelieves there are only three teams that can win the 2019 Rugby World Cup ... and South Africa is not one of them. 

Woodward coached a Jonny Wilkinson-inspired England to World Cup glory in the 2003 edition of the tournament in Australia, and writing in his regular column for the Daily Mail, he said that he was starting to worry about the state of international rugby. 

According to Woodward, only New Zealand, England and Ireland possess the goods to challenge for honours in Japan next year. 

The 61-year-old wrote that part of South Africa's struggles were down to the fact that they could not pick their strongest side. 

"These autumn internationals now seem to just come and go. Argentina are in retreat, South Africa are unable to pick their strongest side, Australia often look tired and are resting players such as Israel Folau and David Pocock which only leaves New Zealand," he wrote.

"Powerhouse nations like the Springboks and France are declining badly and nobody is coming through to replace them or, in the case of Georgia, being allowed to come through. 

"Currently it seems only three countries can realistically lay claims to having what it takes to win a World Cup - New Zealand, England and Ireland. That is a disaster for rugby and little different from the Rugby League World Cup."

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A transformation coach also limits the selection of professional coach like Eddie Jones. Many top players now leave SA as juniors to further their careers overseas and make themselves available for other countries. The current quota of 50% is also expected to increase in the following years- so not much point staying in SA for many players.

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Maybe SA could have an extra team called the "All Whites". This will also include other races but merit only. A bit like the Maori All Blacks.

Its not just player selection it is quota Bok coaches,  Then we move into the administration of the game. Incompetents on the gravy train.

Racist quotas are one very bad thing preventing Bok success and its great an honest guy like Woodward is prepared to say as much. How about banning the boks until racist selections are stopped. 

The sheer hypocrisy at work matches only the hypocrisy of the nz twits who support the anc race based selection policies but has so much to say about all white sides. Ditto the rest of the fake moralists Their monumental hypocrisy is on full display!!

I don't think SARU has the ambition to be number 1 but are rather happier to be at least number 4 in the world, but even that has completely back fired. 

Hanake Meyer wasn't our favourite coach and had a horrid 2015 considering that we lost to the Argies for the first time and then to Japan. 

Even though we came 3rd, he really messed the team up by doing silly substations during the game that lead to losses rather than trying to win every game leading up to the world cup. 

SARU probably thought that we a bit of window dressing the team will continue to deliver results but they don't have the players like Beast, JP and Habana as mentioned by Mozart. 

Neither are the European teams lining up to sign them, even though there are a lot of players of colour getting exposure in the currie cup and Super Rugby. 

We could almost judge our transformation players by how many european are trying to poach them

My other point is that 15's aren't sevens and it is completely different game. 

Perhaps our players of colour are better suited to sevens than 15's where you need brute strength to be even able to compete.

No, the text reads that SA can not call their best players.

SA players are hired in the north for the weight of the SA shirt that keeps selling tickets. And because they drop out of their international selection process. This makes them fully available to their club, which is a huge boost.

SA coach must bargain with  players working in the north so they can be called. They do not want to endanger their career, knowing they owe their value to not being called in international matches.

It is another example of that quota thing used as smoke and mirrors. SA can not call players in the north because they are hired on the ground they are no longer eligible for SA international squad.

And clubs in the north demand compensation when their players are called during the club season. SA can not afford paying.

Neither are the European teams lining up to sign them, even though there are a lot of players of colour getting exposure in the currie cup and Super Rugby.

SA has not trained one single decent non white player over the past 25 years. And no, there is not that many players of colour in SA SR teams. Actually, there is intriguingly  few of them considered the pool.

Watched a few games involving NH clubs (CC), clubs have sometimes as many non white players than a SA SR rugby side.

By SA rugby standard, non white players are over represented in the NH.

Perhaps our players of colour are better suited to sevens than 15's where you need brute strength to be even able to compete.

When looking at NH clubs, home grown non white players are represented in many positions, including forwards.

SA, despite their massive pool, have not trained one single decent non white player.