Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli wants all players drug tested before Saturday's Tri Nations match against Australia in the wake of the Ben Tune banned-substance affair.
In a strongly worded statement, Straeuli said all of his players were prepared to be drug tested. "I believe it would be in the interests of the game if both teams were tested ahead of Saturday's Test".
"I would feel more comfortable playing against a team I knew had been cleared of any suspicion".
Australian Rugby Union officials today apologised to Australian winger Tune for damaging his reputation, having concealed his use of the banned drug probenecid, a masking agent.
ARU managing director John O'Neill and Wallaby coach Eddie Jones said Tune had been an innocent victim, admitting officials should have come clean about his use of the banned drug to treat a serious knee infection 18 months ago.
The Queensland Reds winger was given the drug, which helps the body to retain antibiotics, in hospital in March last year.
He played two Super 12 games with traces of the drug in his system but was rested immediately the Queensland Rugby Union discovered it was on the International Rugby Board's banned list.
Had Tune been tested, he could have been suspended for up to two years, but he is likely to escape censure as the ARU responsible for administering doping policy in Australia.
An ARU spokesman has laughed off Straeuli's dope-testing call, saying: "We've explained ourselves and clearly it's a bit of propaganda before the test. If Rudolf Straeuli wants to stick his hand in his back pocket and pay for it, we'll think about it".
AFP