Former All Blacks and Cats Super Rugby coach, Laurie Mains, who previously said South Africa’s days of being competitors are over because of the quota system, has had another pop at the system.

Following South Africa’s 57-15 loss against New Zealand over the weekend, Mains said that this was the best All Blacks team in history… and then expressed his “concern” over South Africa’s fall from grace.

Mains laid the blame squarely at the feet of transformation targets, with not so much as a peep as the pile of poop legacy the Heyneke Meyer era saddled Allister Coetzee with.

“It’s one of the major tragedies of world rugby that South Africa, who have always been in the top two but over recent years have fallen from that mantle,” he was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.

“Unfortunately the quota system in South Africa is showing there are a number of players there that are not up to international level and therefore it breaks down their whole system.”

As he had done previously, Mains said that when he was coaching in South Africa, he could “understand the need for it” and wants World Rugby to intervene, but feels that all is hunky dory in terms of equality now.

“There are no disadvantaged players left in South Africa.”

“I just feel the only recovery road for South Africa is for them to say: ‘right, with our national team, we pick the best players’.

“If New Zealand Rugby turned around and said to (coach) Steve Hansen: ‘Sorry you have to pick 10 white players in your All Blacks team, imagine the furore around the world if that policy was implemented.

“I just think World Rugby has to stand up and say ‘we can’t allow racial selection in international rugby’. I don’t think they will do it. For me racism goes both ways. And I only say this because after 20 years I think all of the players in South Africa now have come through without any disadvantages.”

He also believes that stopping targets would put an end to the exodus of players who opt for overseas clubs because of the lure of foreign currency.

“I just feel the only recovery road for South Africa is for them to say: ‘right, with our national team, we pick the best players’.

“If that policy was implemented, then a lot of these top players would come back from overseas and we would see the Boks back where they should be.

“For me racism goes both ways. And I only say this because after 20 years I think all of the players in South Africa now have come through without any disadvantages.”

So the fact that a kid who goes to a former Model C school compared to a school in a disadvantaged area has a far better chance of making it as a professional rugby player isn’t a disadvantage? Righto.