Defiant Gregan: I won’t quit

SYDNEY – Embattled Wallaby skipper George Gregan has defiantly stared down calls for his sacking after Australia slumped to their third straight defeat, saying he’ll only quit when he’s good and ready.

The 32-year-old scrumhalf has come under strong criticism for his performance in Saturday’s 30-13 Tri-Nations loss to New Zealand in Sydney, which followed back-to-back defeats by the Springboks in South Africa. Rugby commentators for Australia’s main newspaper groups on Monday joined calls for Gregan to step aside or be sacked so that a younger player could move up into the pivotal scrumhalf role in time to prepare for the 2007 World Cup.But Gregan, who has 112 Test caps and is just two appearances short of the world record held by former England prop Justin Leonard, was having none of it.”I’m still enjoying going out there and competing.I feel I’m contributing to the team.I’m playing in and while that is the case, I’ll continue to play,” he said.”I wasn’t happy with my performance last week, but I wasn’t totally disappointed by it either.”I thought my performance against the Springboks in Pretoria was really good, one of my best performances in the year.I was hoping to build on that but it just wasn’t the case on the weekend,” he said.”I’ve been down this road before.It just comes down to the next performance and the next performance is on Saturday,” he said, referring to the Wallabies’ next Tri-Nations Test against the Springboks in Perth.Gregan also won some backing from Springbok backs coach Allister Coetzee.”I think George had been around and has been a good servant for Australian rugby.I think he’ll be there on Saturday,” Coetzee said in Perth.”I mean, 112 Test caps – I think this is another chance for Australia to get their whole campaign on track so I don’t think they can go without George,” he said.The Daily Telegraph’s Peter Jenkins wrote: “(Eddie) Jones seems certain to stand by George Gregan at halfback until the end of the Tri-Nations series, but the coach must then tap his captain on the shoulder.”At 32, Gregan has lost his edge.By 34, he will be a liability.Gregan should not, cannot, be taken on the end-of-year tour to Europe.”Meanwhile, Australia’s three-game losing streak and calls for the sacking of coach Eddie Jones and Gregan don’t appear to have dampened enthusiasm for rugby in the Western Australian state capital.The Australian Rugby Union yesterday said that the Tri-Nations Test between South Africa and the Wallabies was a sell-out, with a record 43 000 spectators expected for the match.Both teams will name their starting sides for Saturday’s match today.-www.news24.co.zaRugby commentators for Australia’s main newspaper groups on Monday joined calls for Gregan to step aside or be sacked so that a younger player could move up into the pivotal scrumhalf role in time to prepare for the 2007 World Cup.But Gregan, who has 112 Test caps and is just two appearances short of the world record held by former England prop Justin Leonard, was having none of it.”I’m still enjoying going out there and competing.I feel I’m contributing to the team.I’m playing in and while that is the case, I’ll continue to play,” he said.”I wasn’t happy with my performance last week, but I wasn’t totally disappointed by it either.”I thought my performance against the Springboks in Pretoria was really good, one of my best performances in the year.I was hoping to build on that but it just wasn’t the case on the weekend,” he said.”I’ve been down this road before.It just comes down to the next performance and the next performance is on Saturday,” he said, referring to the Wallabies’ next Tri-Nations Test against the Springboks in Perth.Gregan also won some backing from Springbok backs coach Allister Coetzee.”I think George had been around and has been a good servant for Australian rugby.I think he’ll be there on Saturday,” Coetzee said in Perth.”I mean, 112 Test caps – I think this is another chance for Australia to get their whole campaign on track so I don’t think they can go without George,” he said.The Daily Telegraph’s Peter Jenkins wrote: “(Eddie) Jones seems certain to stand by George Gregan at halfback until the end of the Tri-Nations series, but the coach must then tap his captain on the shoulder.”At 32, Gregan has lost his edge.By 34, he will be a liability.Gregan should not, cannot, be taken on the end-of-year tour to Europe.”Meanwhile, Australia’s three-game losing streak and calls for the sacking of coach Eddie Jones and Gregan don’t appear to have dampened enthusiasm for rugby in the Western Australian state capital.The Australian Rugby Union yesterday said that the Tri-Nations Test between South Africa and the Wallabies was a sell-out, with a record 43 000 spectators expected for the match.Both teams will name their starting sides for Saturday’s match today.-www.news24.co.za