Paschal Donohue’s words of encouragement are unlikely to be quite as forceful.
South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula has heaped pressure on the under-fire Springboks by warning them that nothing less a convincing victory over Samoa this weekend can salvage national pride following their defeat by Japan.
In a classic implementation of the ‘carrot and stick’, Mbalula initally reacted to the stunning Pool B reversal, the biggest shock in rugby history, with a message of defiance and belief.
https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/645294481089150976
https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/645295396785405952
But yesterday, at the launch of the country’s Indigenous Games, Mbalula took used his address to warn Heyneke Meyer and his players that they risked losing not only the World Cup, but the respect of a nation.
“Mr Heyneke Meyer and your team please represent South Africa and make us proud,” Mbalula told the crowd.
“What I saw yesterday was not the Springboks I know. I phoned the coach and I told him ‘we are a nation of fighters’.
“Next game I want to see the Springboks otherwise they will be nothing else but a bunch of losers, who failed to represent the country.”
https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/645615298066972672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Meanwhile, spare a thought for Boks fan Ron Rutland.
He cycled 26,700 over four continents to get to the World Cup in time for his team’s opener. If only he had picked up a puncture…
