Controversial Saracens Director of Rugby Brendan Venter gave a bizarre interview after last nights loss to Racing Metro in Round 3 of the Heineken Cup. Venter was fined recently by the ERC for outspoken comments. This was apparently his retort.
The farcical interview came after his side went down 24-21 to Racing Metro in what was a disappointing home defeat for the London club. Sireli Bobo scored a great try to clinch it.
Venter, a former Springbok center and qualified doctor, has never been shy to speak his mind. He has somewhat of a history with the media, recently being fined 23 000 for his comments on refereeing standards after their game against Leinster.
So rather than say anything wrong, Venter chose to make a mockery of the cliched after match interview routine by repeating everything that was asked of him, using a sarcastic tone that left viewers gobsmacked and dodged answering the questions.
Unfortunately, players and coaches aren’t allowed to say what they feel about matches and officials. They are fined if they speak their mind or give honest feedback when pushed by persistent interviewers who, at times, seem as though they’re oblivious to the regulations in place.
This latest episode won’t go down too well though but it has provided another piece of comical entertainment for those who back the cause of being able to speak freely when asked to.
His sarcastic comments on Sireli Bobo’s try were perhaps the bluntest part of the interview.
“Bit of Genius. A bit of magic. Sireli Bombo, very interesting, very good ja. Very good.. Three cheers for Sireli Bombo. Very good, very good,” Venter said.
The coach announced earlier this month that he’ll be leaving his post at Saracens to return home to South Africa for family reasons. Whether this latest controversy has him in hot water or not remains to be seen.
Time: 0:59
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