Why isn't Luke Watson a bok?

Question

Why isn't Luke Watson a springbok yet? what does jake white have against him?

Answer 1

Depends on who you believe...  

- Jake White says LW is to small (no smaller than George Smith mind) and it is common knowledge that JW will always pick a big player over a smaller player... even if the bigger player isn't as good as the smaller player.

- The conspiracy theorist believe it has to do with LW's father  - Cheeky Watson - one of the few white sporting South African's who made a stand against Apartheid in the dark old days and that LW is seen as being a chip off the old block i.e. a trouble causer.

There are also  suggestions that Luke and JW had issues when LW played for JW in the junior ranks. JW told LW that he saw LW as a hooker instead of a breakaway... clearly Luke disagreed and JW has held the view that he isn't a good breakaway.

Another school of though reckons that JW likes to surround himself with 'yes' men and LW is seen as to much of a liability as he has a brain and has no issues saying so.

The irony is that there has been so much speculation about this whole thing and so much has been said about it - with JW often contradicting himself one week saying there is no such thing as 'fetcher' in rugby (probably news to McCaw and Smith) to then selecting a fetcher in the last test against England last year etc etc .. that even if JW wanted to pick LW he couldn't do so without losing face.

Not sure if that answers your question but as you can see there isn't really an easy answer.... but basically it boils down to the fact that JW will never pick LW because there has been to much said in the media and JW has missed opportunity after opportunity to call him up and if he does so now he will just look like a fool after all the excuses he has made for not calling LW in each instance.