Trevor Nyakane seems to be immune to the Cosatu racism fracas that has engulfed the Boks ahead of their must-win encounter against Argentina on Saturday in Buenos Aires.
Cosatu called for the Bok team to feature more black players and said five black Springbok players had complained to them about not being selected.
Nyakane, with Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo and Zane Kirchner, is one of four players of colour who will be starting. In the heat of a ferocious scrumming effort led by Marcos Ayerza and company, Nyakane was one of the better players in a disgraceful collective effort by the Springboks at King’s Park on Saturday.
“Those issues are out there. As players, we talk together, we talk to each other and we try to understand things. To us, it’s not true and we don’t know of any players who could have done something like that and as we speak, it is not like that. On Test weeks like these, I try to keep my head focused on the game. Whatever happens with this Cosatu thing, I put them aside,” said Nyakane.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer made eight changes to the starting 15 that was embarrassed by Argentina last Saturday.
Victor Matfield returns to the starting line-up as captain with Willem Alberts also making his long-awaited comeback.
Last weekend’s scrumming sees a new-look Bulls frontrow of Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe.
Pat Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo and Zane Kirchner make their belated starts while the bench is unrecognisable with Cobus Reinach and Pieter-Steph du Toit being the only returnees. Beast Mtawarira is one of six changes that includes Schalk Brits, Frans Malherbe, Handre Pollard, Jan Serfontein and Flip van der Merwe.
Armed with a smile in spite of the furore around him, Meyer said he had the backing of the players when it came to selection.
While his selections and the giving out of opportunities have often been to the contrary, earning him howls of outcry from the pro-transformation crowd, Meyer said he was committed to transformation.
“You’ll always get players who are unhappy when they don’t play. Steven Kitshoff deserves to play and so does Jan Serfontein but nobody writes about that. I don’t look at colour, I look at the best players and what is best for the players. I am totally committed to transformation and I’ve got a great relationship with my players,” he said.
SOUTH AFRICA: Zane Kirchner; Lwazi Mvovo, Jesse Kriel, Damien de Allende, Bryan Habana; Pat Lambie, Ruan Pienaar; Schalk Burger, Willem Alberts, Heinrich Brussow, Victor Matfield (capt), Eben Etzebeth, Marcel van der Merwe, Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane. Reserves: Schalk Brits, Tendai Mtawarira, Frans Malherbe, Flip van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cobus Reinach, Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein.
Nyakane shrugs off Springbok race fuss
Cosatu called for the Bok team to feature more black players and said five black Springbok players had complained to them about not being selected.
Nyakane, with Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo and Zane Kirchner, is one of four players of colour who will be starting. In the heat of a ferocious scrumming effort led by Marcos Ayerza and company, Nyakane was one of the better players in a disgraceful collective effort by the Springboks at King’s Park on Saturday.
“Those issues are out there. As players, we talk together, we talk to each other and we try to understand things. To us, it’s not true and we don’t know of any players who could have done something like that and as we speak, it is not like that. On Test weeks like these, I try to keep my head focused on the game. Whatever happens with this Cosatu thing, I put them aside,” said Nyakane.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer made eight changes to the starting 15 that was embarrassed by Argentina last Saturday.
Victor Matfield returns to the starting line-up as captain with Willem Alberts also making his long-awaited comeback.
Last weekend’s scrumming sees a new-look Bulls frontrow of Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe.
Pat Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo and Zane Kirchner make their belated starts while the bench is unrecognisable with Cobus Reinach and Pieter-Steph du Toit being the only returnees. Beast Mtawarira is one of six changes that includes Schalk Brits, Frans Malherbe, Handre Pollard, Jan Serfontein and Flip van der Merwe.
Armed with a smile in spite of the furore around him, Meyer said he had the backing of the players when it came to selection.
While his selections and the giving out of opportunities have often been to the contrary, earning him howls of outcry from the pro-transformation crowd, Meyer said he was committed to transformation.
“You’ll always get players who are unhappy when they don’t play. Steven Kitshoff deserves to play and so does Jan Serfontein but nobody writes about that. I don’t look at colour, I look at the best players and what is best for the players. I am totally committed to transformation and I’ve got a great relationship with my players,” he said.
SOUTH AFRICA: Zane Kirchner; Lwazi Mvovo, Jesse Kriel, Damien de Allende, Bryan Habana; Pat Lambie, Ruan Pienaar; Schalk Burger, Willem Alberts, Heinrich Brussow, Victor Matfield (capt), Eben Etzebeth, Marcel van der Merwe, Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane. Reserves: Schalk Brits, Tendai Mtawarira, Frans Malherbe, Flip van der Merwe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cobus Reinach, Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein.
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