Harry can't complain about Swart hype

If you hear the names Kiss, Byrne and Lane in one breath you could be mistaken for thinking they are the latest boy band to hit the music industry.

In a way they are the latest band to hit the South African charts and it doesn't sound like everyone's buying into the new trend.

There is a fuss about the trio from Oz - actually only two people I know of.

One is a Mr Mains from Johannesburg, who has openly criticised the Aussies' South African connection, and a league pal in Sydney, who questioned Kiss' appointment via e-mail.

Perhaps there are more but they are not willing to speak out publicly.

This week Springbok rugby coach Harry Viljoen named Les Kiss and Michael Byrne as consultants to the national side. Kiss is a former rugby league international and Byrne an Aussie Rules man who will be with the Springboks on camp in Plettenberg Bay at the end of the month.

Viljoen's new assistant Tim Lane, who is currently with French club Montferrand, was appointed two weeks ago. His credentials cannot be disputed.

He was the former Wallaby assistant coach from 1997 to 2000, during which time the Wallabies won the Bledisloe Cup three times, the Cook Cup, the Mandela Cup, Tri-Nations and the World Cup.

Lane also coached the Australian sevens in 1997 and 1998 and the Australian under-19s between 1994 and 1996. He coached Manly to the New South Wales Premiership in 1997 and was the assistant coach of the New South Wales Waratahs in 2000.

Harry tells us Byrne is the kicking and catching expert. He has to be because Rules is all about kicking the ball with purpose and being competitive in the air. Rules is not just about men squeezing themselves into tight shorts in front of 100 000 excited fans.

Kiss specialises in defence patterns and those who have watched a game of league will tell you defence is what it's all about.

Viljoen has a point when he said in justifying his appointment of the trio: "I've been using consultants in my business and I see rugby as a business. If you really want to be good at something get specialists to help and assist you.

"The kicking coach I've got will also be involved in catching. It's not just a question of kicking to the poles or up and unders. It's about catching the ball up in the air and about kicking the ball accurately and with purpose," he said.

We all know Harry went to Australia last month to look for Aussies willing to work with the enemy. And he is convinced that he has found them.

If, for some strange reason, Harry's choice of consultants lets him down, so be it. We will always Byrne our fingers but can also Kiss and make up then hit the Lane to recovery.

What Viljoen can't recover from now is the hype around poor Swys Swart, the rookie flyhalf from Pretoria.

If Viljoen's aim is to fast-track young players and introduce them to the Springbok culture, don't name him and expect not to get a reaction.

Viljoen could have quietly invited the guy to the camp - as is done with Sarfu's programme whereby a youngster joins the Springboks a week before a test - without all the media hype. Then Swys would've had reason to say "Dankie Oom!"