It’s exactly six weeks to the Rugby World Cup. And the South African rugby team is in turmoil! Quick, everybody panic. Lose your cool at our performance on the weekend, label Div an incompetent, lying chop. Do whatever it takes to convince yourselves and others that the Boks are doomed and haven’t a hope in hell!

I am pretty sure that was the memo every rugby journo got this Monday.

Many people believe the English football team to be a victim of their own collective anxiety, created by the clustercuss surrounding them in the build up to a big tournament. Their failure to deliver the goods on the big stage can be as equally attributed to scrutiny by media and “fans”, as it can be to Wayne Rooney’s metatarsal, and John Terry’s wayward penis.

You can’t blame the public though. It’s impossible to expect that a supporters’ sole engagement with his/her selected team will be for 80 minutes a week. Between the media platforms we are guaranteed multiple inserts, interviews, tweets and scoops about our team every day. Any South African worth their biltong loves the Springboks, and naturally and we want to hear about them, read about them and watch them whenever the opportunity presents itself.

The media really grinds my balls sometimes. They are the public’s portal to the team, and they take advantage of that. Sure, we lost this weekend. And yes, the 21 “injured” Boks may very well be on a secret training camp in Rustenberg. We have been lied to! Well I have never!

Come on guys... Are we really that naïve to believe we are THAT deep in the drol?

Of the XV that ran onto the field in Sydney this weekend, at most 5 of them will be in our first choice 22 come World Cup time. As a supporter, I am happy to prioritize a World Cup, thank you very much. If the Bok management feel that the best idea is to wrap some key players in cotton wool, monitor their conditioning and send a team down under to appease sponsors and broadcasters alone, then so be it. The World Cup team doesn’t need games together, they have played plenty of games together. They need rest. Super 15 rugby is not exactly lawn bowls, is it?

The South African rugby media would be doing their team, and subsequently their nation, a big favour by jumping off the sensation train. Right now, the team is an easy target, and Div has always been an easy target.

Ultimately, the coaches and players are going to live or die by their performance in the World Cup. They know this. If they feel the way they are going about things is right, as supporters we have to judge them and scrutinize decisions only when we can. Everyone out there won’t give a rats arse if we don’t pick up a point in the Tri-Nations, only to bring the Web Ellis trophy back home at the end of October.

For now, let's enjoy the rugby before it gets really tense a bit later in the year. If you think winning the Tri Nations is at the top of the Springbok camp’s agenda, don’t bother watching the rest of the competition.

Peace!