 Montgomery was in line for a return to the Test fold |
Former Springboks coach Nick Mallett believes the loss of Percy Montgomery will cost South Africa dear in October's World Cup. The Newport player was banned for six months, with a further 18 months suspended, after being found guilty of assaulting a match official during a Welsh Premier League match.
Montgomery's tally of 261 points - including 15 tries - from his 50 caps makes him the Springboks' second-highest points scorer of all time.
Mallett believes Montgomery's goalkicking ability from full-back would have allowed current coach Rudi Straeuli to select a more adventurous fly-half than Louis Koen.
"It would have given them more unpredictability in the backs," Mallett said.
 In three years working with Monty I never saw him even raise a fist |
"But now with Monty out they will probably have to play Koen because of his place-kicking."
Mallett guided the Springboks to a record-equalling 17 successive Test wins, with Montgomery a central figure, before stepping down after the 1999 World Cup.
And the England-born coach - who has led Stade Francais to a French Championship final against Toulouse on Saturday - confessed to being astonished at Montgomery's actions.
"In three years working with Monty I never saw him even raise a fist," he added.
"This must have been a complete aberration but there is no excuse for losing control."
Montgomery is still coming to terms with missing out on the World Cup, but is hoping to use the enforced time off to restore his image as a role model for Welsh youngsters. "I'm shocked and disappointed by the whole thing," he told the South Wales Argus.
"But I've got to take it on the chin and set an example by being a role model. I've got to say to youngsters, 'You can't do this sort of thing'."
MMIX
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