Province furious as Barnard drafted to Cats

Western Province rugby managing director Rob Wagner was furious on Saturday after SA Rugby decreed that Stormers tighthead prop Pat Barnard will be drafted by the Cats.

SA Rugby managing director Rian Oberholzer on Saturday made the decision to send Barnard, recently named as the International Rugby Board under-21 player of 2002, to the Cats in the interest of SA rugby. Stormers coach Gert Smal was due to make a decision on whether to release Barnard to the Cats once the Stormers returned from London next week, but it seems as if that decision has been taken out of his hands.

Wagner said he was not happy with the move. "Pat is contracted to WP Rugby and we feel that we have spent a lot of time and resources in developing him.

"Both Faan Rautenbach and Cobus Visagie are returning from long term injuries and we do not yet know if they will be ready to take part in a competition as tough as the Super 12," Wagner said.

The Stormers boss said Visagie and Rautenbach will each get a start on the Stormers' tour to England this week. They play against Sale in Manchester on Wednesday and against the Natal Sharks in London on Saturday.

"If either of Faan or Cobus fail their fitness tests on the tour, Pat will be a Stormer," Wagner said.

SA Rugby spokesman Mark Keohane said, however, that Barnard will only return to Cape Town if either Visagie or Rautenbach picks up an injury that keeps them out of the Super 12.

That will have to happen in the next two or three weeks as players are only allowed to play for one Super 12 team in any given year.

Wagner was also unhappy because Barnard's move weakens the Stormers squad.

He added that although WP backs SA Rugby's policy of making sure that the top 120 players in the country play in the Super 12, he is not sure whether it is a good idea to spread the talent too thin and have four weak teams rather one or two competitive ones.

"I firmly believe that depth wins the Super 12, " Wagner said.

Barnard, who played for the Stormers in their friendly against Bulls at Newlands last Saturday, will join up with the Johannesburg-based Cats on Sunday.

The Cats' front row has been weakened by the retirement of Springbok Willie Meyer and injuries to loose heads Guthro Steenkamp and Lawrence Sephaka.

Cats coach Tim Lane has been desperate to add depth to his front row.

Steenkamp, who packed down with Barnard in the SA under-21 pack last year, broke his left ankle against the Renegades in Kimberley on Wednesday and will be out for at least six weeks.

Sephaka is out for between two and three weeks with a right ankle ligament injury which could rule him out of the Cats' Super 12 opener against the Bulls on the 21st of this month.

He will definitely miss the Cats' tour friendlies in the United Kingdom against Northampton and Newcastle.