There’s clutching at straws, and there’s trying to reason that the Springboks’ record 38-3 defeat against the Irish last weekend had something to do with flying economy class.

That’s the line being trotted out by the team’s former conditioning coach, Derick Coetzee, in what is just another embarrassing moment in our recent rugby history.

Our men in green and gold were forced to fly economy class on their way to Europe due to “financial constraints”, and Derick says that’s problematic for their sleeping patterns.

Sport24 reports:

“It’s important that the players’ biological clocks are properly set while on tour. The fact that the Boks flew in economy class and not business class could cause their sleep rhythms to be disrupted, even if the time difference in Europe is not much. I would never let big players or guys with lower back problems fly economy class,” Coetzee said in an interview

Still better than catching the red eye flight back from Jozi after a rowdy weekend.

I get it, they’re massive men who aren’t used to being packed in like sardines, but we lost by 35 points in a showing that lacked even a modicum of guts and guile.

The excuse is so bad it’s almost Arsene Wenger-like.

Who knows, maybe losing our Rugby World Cup 2023 bid to the French will fire up the troops and we’ll put in a decent showing on Saturday.

Just be sure to get a good night’s kip, Bokke.

[source:sport24]