Mallett faces up to reality

The under-fire coach of South Africa, Nick Mallett, is expecting mounting public pressure to force a decision by the South African Rugby Union on his future when he returns home today. Mallett's Springboks crashed to their fourth consecutive loss against the world champion's Australia 26-6 in Sydney on Saturday. Mallett, painfully trying to reshape the Springboks to play a more expansive game than the traditional forwards-dominated regime, believes SARFU's patience with him may be wearing thin.

SARFU president Silas Nkanunu has upped the ante with scathing criticism of the national team under Mallett's direction, saying, among other things, that some individual players "make me terrified when I see them play".

Mallett appeared to be preparing the way for his possible dismissal when he told a post-match press conference: "I was offered a two-year contract and I would obviously like to see it through to the end of 2001," he said.

"But the situation in South Africa might become such that the pressure might be on them to make a decision.

"I don't want to stand in the way if they decide there's somebody better. I'm not dogmatically sticking to this. I feel I am on the right track."

There have been reports that English-born Mallett (33), a former Springbok, may take up a lucrative English offer as head of the country's coaching program should he become available.

Aligned to the anguish over losing their last four games to England, Australia, New Zealand and Australia, comes the damning statistic that the Springboks have not scored a try in their last three-and-a-half hours' of Test rugby since the 32nd minute of the first half of their Mandela Challenge game to Australia earlier this month.

And for the third straight Test, the South Africans have been unable to score any second-half points.

Mallett is steadfast in his rugby beliefs for the future of the Springboks and has urged SARFU to follow the same path as New Zealand and Australia, where the Super 12 sides play under the auspices of the national body.

He said for the Springboks to compete on a level playing field with the All Blacks and Wallabies, they needed a unified coaching structure and style.

Mallett said the South African rugby public was warming to his new, ball-in-hand style of play.

"I think the vote is probably fairly split in South Africa. There are certain people who understand our Super 12 results haven't been very consistent.

"If you take a line through our Super 12 results and Tri Nations results, we were always the third-best country in the SANZAR tournament.

"We mustn't be blind to the fact that we should try and improve our rugby. That's my opinion and I think the players have accepted it.

"When you play against a side like Australia or the ACT Brumbies, who are not only doing well here but in South Africa as well, you have to be reasonable and realistic and understand they are doing something better than us."

Wallaby flanker David Wilson was cleared yesterday of eyegouging South Africa's Braam van Straaten in Saturday's game. After a three-hour hearing, a judiciary committee ruled that Wilson had made firm contact with van Straaten's eye but that it was accidental.

Wilson (33), Australia's most capped flanker and boasting an unblemished record over 77 internationals, was playing in his last home Test. "I didn't want this incident to tarnish my reputation and my name. I would have been devastated had the committee found it was intentional which it certainly wasn't," Wilson said.

Wilson said in evidence that he was not aware of making any contact with the eye.

He said he was relieved to be clear to play next Saturday when the Wallabies meet the All Blacks in Wellington in a return match likely to decide the tournament.

A late try by Jonah Lomu allowed New Zealand to beat Australia 39-35 in an epic battle in Sydney on July 15th before a world-record crowd of 109,874.

The All Blacks also defeated South Africa 25-12 in Christchurch a week later.

South African centre De Wet Barry, meanwhile, was given a temporary suspension or a "yellow card" after being found guilty of punching Wilson during the second half on Saturday.

Wilson said he had received a "clip" which he thought was of little consequence.