What a Grand time to play the ’Boks

Mar 30 2008 by Simon Roberts, Wales On Sunday

WARREN GATLAND, resting on the beach in Waikato in his native New Zealand, probably can’t quite believe his luck, writes SIMON ROBERTS.

He achieves the impossible by winning a Grand Slam with a team knocked out of the pool stages of the World Cup.

And, now, he discovers the world champions South Africa are in utter turmoil ahead of Wales’ two-Test summer tour.

World Cup-winning coach Jake White has gone, followed by a raft of players, like Percy Montgomery and Os du Randt.

And his successor Peter de Villiers (pictured right), who still hasn’t signed his contract, is having a very public war of words with his Super 14 coaches.

“I am not getting the support I have been asking for from the Super 14 coaches,” said de Villiers, the first black Springboks coach who has complained about not enough black players playing Super 14 rugby.

He also hasn’t even managed to appoint his own coaching team, while South African rugby chiefs even told him they would pick his team to face Wales in the two Test series in June.

“We are close to finalising the contract, but I must have the final say on the team,” said De Villiers.

An added concern for him is that all of South Africa’s Super 14 sides have been playing under the new Experimental Law Variations, but will have to revert back to the old laws for the visit of Gatland’s Wales.

Some bad news for Gatland, though, is that Victor Matfield, widely regarded as the best second row in the world, has targeted the first Test as his comeback from a knee ligament injury.

Wales’ first Test against the Boks is in Bloemfontein on June 7, with the second Test seven days later at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (both 1pm BST).