Yes, the Springboks lost, they were outplayed by a better – and more motivated – team on the day, but let’s keep it in perspective writes Rob Peters.

If you thought the Boks looked jaded, tired and out of sorts on Friday evening in Toulouse, you were right. There is a pretty easy explanation for it too. They have played too much rugby — and it showed. Professor Tim Noakes said before the tour that the Boks would start to fall off the pace, but then what does he know?

Quite a lot actually…

"It was clear in the Currie Cup semifinals last month that the Springboks were tired and pacing themselves. Some of them should have been left at home," stressed Noakes.

"A deal should be made with the Super 14 coaches that these guys only participate in the series after the fourth round because they require an eight-week break."

As I said, Noakes knows a thing or two, but nobody seems to be listening.

The Boks are certainly not alone here because all the international teams face the same problem on their year-end tours. South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in November and the Six Nations teams in June/July all struggle to hit their straps. It’s hardly surprising when you consider how much rugby they have played by that stage.

Management has one of two choices: field a weaker team or play your first-choice players into the ground. Both choices have the same result — a poorer spectacle.

So, what can be done?

There has been talk of a global calendar, but that would mean all the nations would need to agree on it. The three Sanzar countries cannot even agree with one another, so throwing in another six will just make it worse. And we all know how the ELVs debate ended don’t we?

So, scratch that idea.

You could cut back on the fixtures, but that would result in less money for the unions. So that’s not going to happen either. No, the only way the problem will be solved is country by country. In other words, if the Boks want look after their top players the provincial unions need to start playing ball with the SA management team.

The Super 14 coaches tend to complain when their senior players are called up for national duty at the end of the year, but they feel little to play them into the ground during the Super 14, and later the Currie Cup, the minute they are made available to them.

Bok coach Peter de Villiers has made some mad-cap statements in his time, but he was correct in the following: "We cannot play them into the ground at national level and rest them when internationals come round. It should be the other way with a plan to rest them at national level."

Basically Div is saying international rugby is more important than domestic and I could not agree more. South African rugby is judged first and foremost on the Springboks. As far as I am concerned the top Boks should not be playing any Currie Cup rugby at all.

Victor Matfield, John Smit, Bakkies Botha and others should put their feet up after the Tri-Nations and get some rest before heading north.

Sure, they may want to play, but then what’s more important? Another Currie Cup title, or beating the French in France for the first time in 12 years? I know what my answer would be… what do you say?

Is it time to put the national interest first? Should the first-choice Springboks be rested in October or November? Comment below!

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