SA Rugby
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber praised his team's fighting spirit to grind their way to a crucial 36-20 victory against Argentina in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on Saturday, which allowed them to match New Zealand on 14 log points going into the final round next weekend.
During the post-match interview, however, journalists wasted no time in asking the coach about allegations made by the online publication Sarugbymag who claimed on Saturday that SA Rugby had sought to quash a story from a South African publication that was set to publish an explosive report on recreational drug use and positive tests in the Bok camp.
Coach Nienaber said he was shocked and disappointed not only by the allegations but also by the timing thereof as it was five hours before an important test.
He said players are tested regularly, sometimes daily, and no player has ever tested positive in the year they have been together as a team.
The latest scandal comes just a week after allegations about flyhalf Elton Jantjies who allegedly had an affair with the team dietician Zeenat Simjee.
Both were sent back home from Argentina.
Both Jantjies and Simjee have since issued statements on the matter, both denied the rumours.
