Jacques Nienaber is disturbed by reports that Springbok players have tested positive for recreational drug use, questioning the timing of the allegations before Saturday’s win for the world champions in Argentina.
A statement from SA Rugby on the eve of the Boks’ 36-20 victory over Los Pumas in Buenos Aires lashed out at “unsubstantiated allegations” claiming drug abuse in the SA camp.
Sources confirmed that SA Rugby was seeking a legal interdict to stop Sunday newspaper Rapport from publishing a story that alleges several Boks have tested positive for cocaine.
Speaking after the Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, Nienaber said: “From my side, it was quite disturbing, especially the timing of it, five hours before a big Test match like this and it’s a ‘semi-final’, you know, I’m stunned.
KEO: A golden moment for rugby referees
“I’m literally stunned that allegations like that can be made about this team because again we are tested as any other team is tested regularly, sometimes three times a week in South Africa.
“There hasn’t been one positive case since we’ve been together all this year. So yeah, it is disappointing.”
Skipper Siya Kolisi added: “We pulled together, that’s what we had to do. This game was important for us. You have to show up. We want to win the Championship, and we have to show Argentina the respect that they deserved.
“They’re a very experienced team and a lot of players came back with a great coach. He knows how to get these players up and we told ourselves that as a group, we had to pitch up for the game and everything else will be looked at after.
“It was tough for us as a group, I’m not going to lie about it, but at the end of the day, the people who support us were behind us.
“I don’t know of any player who has been told he has tested positive out of my team, so yeah …”
