Worcester Warriors scrum-half Francois Hougaard is a good player and his recent axing from the Springbok squad is a strange decision.
That was the word from Warriors' director of rugby, Gary Gold, who said he was delighted to have Hougaard back at the club.
Earlier this week, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee dropped Hougaard and said the 29-year-old lacked the technical ability to perform adequately at Trest level.
“Look I am not going to go and explain every individual player and why he has been left out," said the Bok coach.
"The reason for Francois Hougaard obviously – he is a fantastic rugby player and it is just that that continuity hasn’t been part of this – like not playing regularly at nine has not helped him with his technical ability at scrumhalf at Test match level.”
“Unfortunately that is the case and it hasn’t gone well, because I think it is important that our nines function really well. And I just think technically at that level it has been a struggle for him really.”
Gold said he was surprised by Hougaard's omission from the Springbok squad for the upcoming Tests against Australia and New Zealand.
"It's a tough call on Francois, who has been a loyal servant of South African rugby for a long time," Gold wrote in his column for The Times.
“I find Coetzee's comments regarding Hougaard's axing bizarre, and I would like to see what elements of his game he struggled with technically according to the national coach."
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