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CAPE TOWN. — Legendary former Springbok flyhalf Naas Botha says transformation should not be used as an excuse for the South African national rugby team’s demise.

The Springboks are currently ranked fifth on the official World Rugby rankings, but are not the revered team they once were. In recent times, heavy losses to arch-rivals the All Blacks and first time defeats to the likes of Japan, Italy and Argentina have diminished the credibility of the two-time world champions.

The blame is often laid at the door of transformation as SA Rugby aims to have the Springbok team made up of 50% black and coloured players at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Botha spoke to English publication, The Guardian, which published an in-depth look at the state of rugby in South Africa 25 years since the Springboks’ return to the international fold.

He said “quotas” cannot be used as an excuse for the national team’s defeats. I never had any complaints regarding the way forward. It’s the new South Africa and for rugby to grow you must involve everybody. I just get fed up with people saying the quota system is the problem. Absolute nonsense. We are not losing because of quotas. We lose because we’re not playing well. I watched the semi-finals of Currie Cup and half the guys couldn’t even catch the ball.”

The 59-year-old Botha, who played 28 Tests for the Springboks between 1980 and 1992, currently works as a rugby pundit for pay-channel SuperSport.

Meanwhile, former Springbok coach Nick Mallett believes SA Rugby’s transformation target for the 2019 Rugby World Cup is achievable, but has lamented the way it has been implemented by coaches and selectors. — AFP