Rugby Championship
Genia: 'Toxic' check at Loftus
2012-09-26 10:57
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – The truth or otherwise of long-time Wallabies
and Reds halfback partner Quade Cooper’s claims of a “toxic environment” in the
Australian camp will be “there for all to see” against the Springboks at Loftus
on Saturday, says absent captain Will Genia.
The scrumhalf, currently recovering back home after
rupturing a knee ligament earlier in the Castle Rugby Championship, was
speaking in the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday in the wake of the
ever-controversial Cooper’s charges of unrest in the touring camp.
The outspoken No 10 had also lashed out at coach Robbie
Deans’s “boring” game-plan.
Genia, however, is taking a more diplomatic, seemingly
“reserve judgement” view ahead of the Highveld crunch (17:00 kickoff).
“If you go over there (to South Africa) and you play against
the Springboks in Pretoria and you’re not all on the same page, you’re not all
buying into it ... they’ll get smashed, to be honest.
“The boys do understand the privilege that they have in
representing their country. We all do ... they don’t take that for granted.
“They seem very focussed, they seem like they’re really
enjoying their time over there.”
The Wallabies have never won at Loftus, where previous
results between the two nations are as follows:
1963: South Africa 14
Australia 3
1997: South Africa 61
Australia 22
2001: South Africa 20
Australia 15
2005: South Africa 22
Australia 16
2010: South Africa 44
Australia 31