Rugby: Bosses expect business as usual for Test

Scottish Rugby bosses said today they were preparing as normal for Saturday's second Autumn Test against South Africa despite the world champions being engulfed in a drug furore.

South Africa have provisionally suspended Bjorn Basson and Chiliboy Ralepelle and sent them home from the squad's tour of Britain and Ireland after the pair tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine on November 6.

The situation has intensified amidst claims that Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is now investigating the rest of his squad and what supplements they are taking to ensure any problems are not widespread.

But a Scottish Rugby spokesman, while reluctant to be drawn on the wider issues, insisted: "There is no reason to doubt that the game won't be going ahead."

Despite reassurances the "Evening News" has learned that Murrayfield bosses are regarding the matter with the utmost seriousness and will be making their own enquiries.

These investigations were due to get underway this morning and will doubtless centre on safety aspects.

Rugby is already in the constant process of ensuring that injury risk is eliminated as far as possible.

With methylhexaneamine said to be a stimulant that can enhance performance through clearing breathing channels any suggestion that the Scotland team would be facing chemically charged opponents would be regarded as abhorrent.

Meanwhile, the two players, who are entitled to request that their 'B' samples are tested, are due to fly home later today.

De Villiers says: "We have done quite a bit already, we are busy sending stuff for testing. Obviously we have to look at what might have caused this and we don't want to put the players at risk.

"If there is something that we are taking as a squad that might have caused this then we must find that out now.

"When I informed the two players that they had been tested positive they were both extremely shocked and disappointed. The rest of the team were also gutted when they heard."