‘Expert’ Williams embarrassed himself by insinuating Kitshoff retired because of Springbok Bomb Squad

Comment by Mike Greenaway

Australian rugby pundit Matt Williams’ claim that Steven Kitshoff’s career-ending neck injury could be Bomb Squad-related is like a drowning man frantically reaching for an imagined life raft.

Williams, the former coach of New South Wales and Scotland, has made a post-rugby name for himself as a pundit in Irish media.

And one of the rods he loves to bear is his hatred of South Africa’s use of six or seven forwards in the famous Bomb Squad.

Williams argues that it is not only against the spirit of the game, but is also likely to cause injuries.

He says that tiring forwards in the team in opposition to the Boks suddenly have to face a fresh pack of forwards, and thus are vulnerable to injury.

Williams has been shot down in many quarters, but has also garnered support from teams poor in forward depth, like Scotland.

The matter seemed to have been put to rest when governing body World Rugby conducted an investigation into the matter, and recently ruled that there were no medical grounds to outlaw the concept of a Bomb Squad.

But Williams won’t let the matter go, and his ridiculous assumption in a podcast this week that Kitshoff’s retirement could be related to his role in the Bomb Squad has eroded his credibility as an expert rugby critic.

If he had done his homework, he would have found that Kitshoff’s injury was from a freak accident in a Currie Cup match in which the Springbok was starting for Western Province.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was quick to pour cold water on Williams’ unfounded claim.

Erasmus said on social media this week: “No man! How can a 6/2 or 7/1 split contribute to Kitchie’s injury? Do you know? No, you don’t.”

I interviewed Williams several times when he was coach of the New South Wales Waratahs in the early days of Super Rugby.

He is a man of letters (he holds a university degree), and I found him to be sincere and engaging.

But his failure to let go of his stance on the Springboks favouring forwards on their bench – a stance copied by Ireland and France – is disappointing.

It reeks of an academic who has been found out, but cannot accept culpability, and like a dog with a bone, can’t let go.

In defence of dogs, they don’t understand the concept of humility, but what is Williams’ excuse?