Former Irish Test player suggests a steroid* should be put next to Boks World Cup Victory

Former Ireland lock Neil Francis says an asterisk should be put next to the Springboks' Rugby World Cup win because of drug abuse.

Francis, who played 36 Tests for Ireland between 1987 to 1996, shared his views via a column for the Irish Independent.

Francis, nowadays a rugby pundit, said he is "fairly certain" there is a "steroid culture" in South Africa after Springbok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi tested positive for "multiple" banned substances earlier this year.

Francis wrote: "How certain are we when we point a finger to suggest there is a steroid culture in a country that has just won the World Cup? Fairly certain," Francis wrote.

"Is Dyantyi, a poster boy for the World Cup and winner of World Rugby’s young player of the year (in 2018), the only one? Or the only one to be caught?

"The player in my view will go down but the system stays in place. What were we saying about latitude and dispensation? Do we need to put an asterisk beside the winners of the 2019 World Cup?"

Dyantyi was at a Springbok training camp in July when the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) informed the speedster that an adverse analytical finding had been detected in a sample collected.

Dyantyi, who was provisionally suspended in light of the finding, exercised his right to have his 'B'-sample analysed.

That 'B' sample also returned a positive finding and he now faces a four-year ban.

So the English started the bitching and now it is the Irish,  Players are tested regularly and they are subject to all the World Rugby Rules with regard to testing.   Neil Francis are just looking for an excuse as to why they were wiped out by the AB's .   .    

The South African Rugby Union should lodge a complaint with the Irish Independent. He has no facts, just idle speculation.....the worst kind of journalism.

Well, well another Irish jock pointing fingers at SA players without evidence to support his claim.

Simple folk, bad losers serving terrible Irish Whiskey. 

Jeremy Guscott is pretty salty still as well

https://www.walesonline.co.uk

/sport/rugby/jeremy-guscott-calls-key-law-17236622.amp

There was a podcast I'll try find again in which the Irish Pundit and Ronan o' Gara were having a go. O' Gara questioning why Eddie and England didn't go to uncontested scrums. Grubs!!

xavi.....they did they brought on COLE.

Guscott should remember that both teams have full benches at their disposal...the bench was expanded to 8 to prevent uncontested scrums, now he wants to reduce it again? Stupid. 

Neil Francis is a shit stirrer and should be ignored. Every countries media has a few pundits like that unfortunately. Unless you have evidence to back up a claim keep your mouth shut because it just makes us look sore losers.

Regarding the 2023 World Cup, obviously Ireland where disappointed not to win it and felt rather annoyed about how the various criteria was weighted. The overwhelming number 1 criteria turned out to be money and that's why France won it. Was basically World Rugby saying screw you small countries don't even bother applying. Wasn't so much transport being an issue, as the country is small and all major cities are connected with road and rail links, the problem was stadium and accommodation issues, but the Irish government had a plan of upgrading several Gaelic Football association pitches to higher spectator capacity in time for the World Cup. As for bringing up the crime rate in SA, well it is a lot higher than it is in Ireland so it was legitimate point to make, but at the end of the day the decision came down to France offering more money over any other factor. 

Most Irish anger was directed at Wales and Scotland who said they would vote for us and then changed their mind, Scotland basically came out and said they sold us out for more money. Those votes cost us the chance to host it. Irish might remember that if they ever look to host the event themselves.

Ireland doesn't have anything against SA rugby. We would of preferred SA got the 2023 World Cup over money bags France. I know BOD said Ireland would be better off playing NZ in the world cup cause he feared South Africa style of power play more than NZ. 

Stav nobody fears the very wee abs. It's all in the vivid imaginations of far gone oaks like Brycy and Crusadertwit! 

 By the way Stav things looking hopeful re Brexit particularly if Boris gets Canadian type trade deal and it's all over by end of 2020. What a great patriot Nigel Farage is.

That far left communist Corbyn is heading for disaster. Lib Dems hopelessly overestimate themthelves. 

Transgender supporter Sturgeon may be in for a surprise. Handing over Scotland to the globalist in the EU is not every Scotsman cop o tea. 

Hahaha....funny AJ.

Fact is, some of our players are juicing.

Is it more prevalent than in other teams? No idea. 

But to think that nobody is hitting the turbo button us a tad naive.