Jake White

They've kept the squad.

I mean, I can't think of many players.

In fact, hardly any that have been dropped from that squad in five years because...

When you're picking 80 guys in a lineman camp every year, the chances are you're going to use those guys because they've got the IP, they're in the system and all that sort of thing.

But it does come at a detriment to the provincial sides.

It does.

Because what's going to happen is if we had lost by one point to France in the quarterfinals of that World Cup, would we be saying that we have the recipe for Coca-Cola?

I'm not so sure.

So, my concern was, Bernard, I say to you, I think that what Ireland are doing and I'm saying what New Zealand are doing and all that is correct.

If you don't want to play, you know, rugby, then you shouldn't be eligible to play for your country.

You know, I don't want to get into names, etc.

When youngsters come to the ranks, they say, coach, I will do anything to be a Springbok or anything to be an Irish international.

And I didn't know anything meant except not play overseas and earn money or except not play in my country and play for my province.

That was never part of the except, you know.

So I'm saying to the system is very simple, is that the head office, I'm envious of the fact that because all the coaches before me at the Springboks moaned about the same thing, limited squads, not being able to pick the best, not having access to the players, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

So when you wear your national cap, you want to have access to the best players and you want to pick over internationals and you want...

But when you're a provincial coach, Bernard, if you don't have the situation where you can keep the best players in your country, imagine if O'Driscoll had left at the age of 24 and not played international rugby because he wanted to make money.

Imagine what a loss that would be to Irish rugby, you know?

And that quite simply could happen in countries like South Africa, you know?

Sure.