CARDIFF // South Africa cast aside the controversy surrounding Tendai Mtawarira to withstand a rousing comeback from Wales at the Millennium Stadium last night. The South African Rugby Union (SARU) yesterday revealed they have been instructed by the country's ministry of sport to stop selecting Mtawarira, the black player affectionately known as "The Beast", for the national team because he is not a South African citizen. The SARU said they had told their selectors they could no longer pick the Zimbabwe-born prop, who has played 22 Tests for the Springboks, after they had received a letter from the deputy sports minister on Friday.
Mtawarira is legally a resident in South Africa and fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the International Rugby Board, according to SARU, but does not hold a South African passport. The letter said that no foreign player can be selected for a national team. A below-strength Springboks were forced to work hard to see off the Welsh after falling 13 points behind early on and John Smit, the captain, admitted his side had been below-par.
"We didn't really play off our line-outs, we couldn't play off scrums and I thought we were pretty ordinary," Smit said. "The win is the only thing we can take home, but that's the important thing. Your first game up is never perfect. We haven't been together as a squad, it's always a bit scratchy but we got what we wanted." The South African side included three debutants in the shape of Juan de Jongh, who scored a try, Gio Aplon and Francois Louw, and Smit was full of praise for how they had handled the action.
"I thought the new guys were outstanding, not only did they fit in well but they fitted into the level of training and they didn't look too bad out there on the field," he added. "It's good to know you have these guys to fall back on when people are out through poor form or injury." For Wales it was a missed opportunity to record a second victory over South Africa in 104 years. Warren Gatland, the coach, lamented: "In the opening 25 minutes we were clinical, accurate and 16-3 up, and then we caught some sort of disease, I don't know what it is. We got ourselves in a bit of trouble, got behind and then showed great character at the end. But we are frustrated.
"We played the world champions today. Guys who played in the Super 14 final last week, and the Stormers and the Bulls are two of the best teams in the world. "The thing from today is you feel like you are not too far away and you are not turning up thinking we hope to have a good day and they have a bad day and we can cause an upset. We know if we are more clinical we are capable of beating anyone. Today was an opportunity we didn't take."
The hosts had motored into a 16-3 lead in the opening quarter courtesy of eight points from the boot of Stephen Jones plus an interception try and a drop goal from James Hook. The Springboks hit back as tries from Odwa Ndungane, Dewald Potgieter and de Jongh, plus a penalty from Francois Steyn and 13 points from Ruan Pienaar saw them lead 31-19. But the hosts set up a frantic finale with tries from wing Tom Prydie and Alun Wyn Jones, the replacement, either side of Pienaar's fourth penalty, but it was not enough.
* Agencies