Legend Joost on mend after affairs of heart
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Thursday July 02 2009
FORMER Springbok scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen has recovered from the scare he suffered after the second Test on Saturday when he was rushed to hospital after collapsing at home.
With heart and brain conditions ruled out, medical staff believe the 38-year-old is in no danger. Van der Westhuizen was a serious player in his day and is a bit of a player in retirement too it would seem after recent allegations of a sex video featuring Joost, a white powdered substance and a 24-year-old exotic dancer. Something of an Afrikaner hero, this scandal was not a hit with the beard-and-bible brigade.
Van der Westhuizen denies those allegations along with claims he has had an on-off affair with a South African sports star while his wife, Amore, was sick.
De Villiers feels heat ahead of 'Chili' nod
SOUTH AFRICA rugby pundits have turned on head coach Peter de Villiers big time. The main source of their ire has been his reaction to the Schalk Burger eye-gouging incident but he has also copped flak for his selection policy.
His bizarre substitution policy in the first Test almost handed the Lions victory while omitting form players Heinrich Brussow, Jaque Fourie and Morne Steyn from the second Test starting line-up was shown up for the error it was when that trio came off the bench to fire the Boks' thrilling win.
And, with the Boks to name their team for the third Test today, De Villiers is under fire for the widely expected selection of Chiliboy Ralepelle. Fantastic name aside, Chiliboy cannot command a regular starting place with the Bulls and picking him at hooker ahead of Bismark Du Plessis would go against Dick Muir's assertion that the Boks will pick their strongest side for the dead-rubber third Test.
As South African columnist Jon Cardinelli puts it: "The Bulls reserve hooker is replacing the Boks' premier hooker, a player management originally believed to be so good they moved the World Cup-winning captain (John Smit) to No 3."
'QUOTE-UNQUOTE'
SECONDS OUT: "People said we had no chance (in Pretoria), and we were by far the better team. We lost it in the last second." -- Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips.
RUNNING ON EMPTY: "We are very disappointed not to have won the board's recommendation. We met and frequently exceeded every criteria." -- SARU Deputy President Mark Alexander as South Africa fails to be recommended for the 2015 and 2019 World Cups -- the empty seats during the Lions tour are thought to have been a big factor.
- Hugh Farrelly
