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CAPE TOWN. – The relationship between former Springboks Ashwin Willemse and Nick Mallett has been strained for some time, a report indicates.

This follows the drama that occurred in the SuperSport studios on Saturday night when Willemse walked off a live broadcast following an apparent disagreement with fellow presenters Mallett and another former Springbok, Naas Botha.

Willemse spoke of being labelled a “quota player” and refused to be “patronised by two individuals who played in an apartheid/segregated era”.

Willemse went on to say he “can’t work with people who undermine other people” and that he was “glad it happened on live TV so that people can see”.

It was unclear what had caused Willemse’s outburst, but Afrikaans newspaper, Rapport, shed more light on the matter on Sunday. Source with knowledge of what transpired in the studio told the weekly newspaper that Mallett, while off-air, had asked the television producer to give Willemse an opportunity to speak first following the Lions’ 42-24 win over the Brumbies in Johannesburg.

Mallett requested this as Willemse did not get a chance to speak following the earlier match between the Sharks and Chiefs in Durban. The report further claimed Willemse interpreted this request as patronising – which led to his outburst. A friend of Willemse also hit out at Botha and Mallett. – Sport24.