There have been numerous examples where Springbok players were dropped in surprising fashion. Here we look at three standout cases. Former Springbok captain Gary Teichmann Although it’s an impossible task to narrow down the most shocking cases of Springbok players being unceremoniously dropped, there is no doubt the case of Gary Teichmann will forever live in infamy.
The affable eighthman had captained the Springboks throughout 1997 and 1998, as well as at the start of 1999 before a bombshell decision was made by then coach Nick Mallet. When Teichmann was sacked as leader of the Springboks in July 1999, it marked the beginning of the end of his career in South African rugby and was undoubtedly one of most controversial decisions ever made by a Springbok coach. Speaking on the topic years later, Teichmann admitted that his relationship with Mallett had begun to “go backwards” in the lead-up to the decision to omit him from the World Cup squad and bring an end to his Springbok captaincy in favour of Bobby Skinstad.
In a recent book published by Mallett, he ultimately admitted it was the biggest blunder of his Springbok coaching career. “It was really hard for me as I realised I had made a mistake as soon as the team got together for our pre-World Cup training camp in Plettenberg Bay,” he reflected. “There was just a completely different feel to the vibe and there wasn’t the togetherness that there had been before.
It felt like the players were separate from the co.