PdV: We need structure
12 Jun 2009
Peter de Villiers on the Bok game plan, why Brian O’Driscoll should have been the Lions’ captain, and adjusting to the global ELVs.
What’s your overall impression of the Lions touring squad?
I know Ian McGeechan as a brilliant coach, having also been an excellent player in his day. McGeechan’s biggest attribute is that he’s a very organised person so he won’t leave any stone unturned and will do his homework thoroughly. He’s willing to take on whatever is in front of him and he’s a brilliant tactician. You can see the influence the other coaches around him have had and they have put together a great squad. We expected most of the players to be there but I was surprised that Mike Blair, Steve Borthwick and Ryan Jones were left out [Blair and Jones later joined the squad as injury replacements].
Do you think Ian McGeechan made the right choice in selecting Paul O’Connell as captain ahead of Brian O’Driscoll?
Well, did Peter de Villiers make the right decision in naming John Smit as his Springbok captain? That’s something only I will know and the same applies to McGeechan, and we respect his decision. O’Connell’s name had been mentioned quite a bit prior to the announcement so people knew he was going to be captain.
Who would you have picked to captain the Lions?
I would have made O’Driscoll captain, because he was the most successful captain in this year’s Six Nations.
What does his selection say about the style of rugby the Lions intend to play?
To me it looks like they will adopt a direct approach, which is the way world rugby is going at the moment. You have to be direct in certain cases, so we will just have to wait and see if they can adapt to conditions in South Africa.
You have always advocated that the past counts for nothing, but will McGeechan’s previous successes with the Lions against the Boks play a role this time round?
Ja, definitely. McGeechan is a respected man and wherever he goes people listen to what he has to say. The players will listen to him and will try to do exactly what he asks of them. He certainly does know a thing or two about winning in South Africa.
The Boks lost the 1997 series to the Lions because of poor goal kicking. Will you make sure you select a recognised goal kicker?
Goal kicking is part of the game, so is tackling, scrumming and lineouts. If you look at things in isolation as a coach, you will be lost. It’s the right of the individual out there who will never have the privilege of selecting the Bok side to have his own views on how things should be done, but for us as coaches we have to look at everything holistically. Even the greatest goal kickers in the world have missed a couple of important kicks.
Have you learnt any lessons from that 1997 series loss?
You can take lessons out of everything. We definitely learnt a few lessons from that tour and we can’t guarantee that we won’t repeat those mistakes, but there will certainly be an emphasis on cutting them out.
What are some of the biggest challenges you faced while preparing to take on the Lions?
The biggest challenge is that the bulk of the Bok squad has been playing in the Super 14 and key players have got injured. The fact that we won’t have sufficient preparation time together as a team is also a challenge. Some players will have been involved in the Super 14 semi-finals and that in itself will be a challenge – to switch their focus back to what lies ahead of them after having already achieved so much.
Are you satisfied that your players have had enough rest in preparation for the Lions series?
No, they haven’t have enough time off. You know it, I know it and we all know that one time or another they are going to break down. But we must be prepared for that. It’s like being in an accident. If somebody dies in a car accident you just replace them and that’s what we will have to do.
Would you consider resting certain players after the Lions tour?
We must just prepare smarter. There are a few things I need to look at and there are some new things that I need to instil in the team, but it will be tough because it’s the same players who I need to do that with. But if we are smart we can overcome that.
Will the Boks be more structured against the Lions than they were at times during the Tri-Nations last year?
The Boks will always play the game they have played for many years. We will have a very tough pack of forwards. The players will play the situation, but there will be some structure because without it you are like a headless chicken. I’m looking for a lot of intellectual players, players who can make the right decisions instinctively.
Carel du Plessis’s failure against the Lions in 1997 ultimately cost him his job. Are you feeling the pressure ahead of this series?
This game isn’t Peter de Villiers’s game. I’m so blessed and honoured to be part of the Springboks and I’m going to make a difference wherever I can. But there’s no coach in the world who can make players, it’s the players who make the coach. I’ll be there to give the players direction, but if we lose we lose. We will never prepare to lose, but we don’t have control over winning and losing. Rugby will never be my life, it is simply a part of my life and everything that’s part of my life I do to the best of my ability.
John Smit hasn’t played much at tighthead this year. Does that concern you?
I expected to be greeted by sunshine when I woke up this morning and I got my clothes ready, but it was overcast. I don’t worry about how it’s going to be, what’s important is how I react to what happens. I just put those clothes back and changed. That’s life. John is a student of this game and he will take on any challenge to make a difference for his country.
Injury ruled Butch James out of the Lions tour. Was he a candidate for selection?
Every South African rugby player is a candidate to play for the Springboks if they are good enough. I don’t have any control over injuries. Today somebody will get injured, tomorrow somebody else and after that someone else. But that is why God gave us so many people around us so that we can just adapt to the circumstances.
South African players have played under the hybrid ELVs in the Super 14. Will it be hard to adjust to the global ELVs in the Lions series?
It will be tough, but then again when in Rome do as the Romans do. We will just have to adjust. We simply want to make this a great spectacle for the people who support us and for the players themselves.
Will playing under the global ELVs change your approach to the game?
There are only really three or four changes that you have to adjust to. You won’t go break down your whole house if you want to make the one room bigger, you just knock out one wall, and that’s how we will approach it.
Do you think the Boks will gain any advantage by playing the last two Tests at altitude?
Well, the altitude will affect us and the Lions. A lot of players live in Cape Town and in Durban and the Lions come from Britain and Ireland so circumstances will be the same. You can’t look at things to help you, you rather use the circumstances to get to where you want to be.
Will the fact that the Boks only have one warm-up game against a Namibia XV count against you?
The Lions are in a privileged position. We are giving them six games to prepare for the Test series and to turn the team into a unit, so they will have the advantage in that regard.
Most people expect the Bok team to almost pick itself. How much does Super 14 form play in your selection process?
Super 14 form is a great yardstick for everybody. But if a guy is good enough to play for his country he is good enough to play for his country, there’s no experiment. If a player has shown form in the Super 14, which in my view is the toughest tournament in the rugby world, why can’t he do it on the international stage? If he’s successful there he can be successful anywhere.
Did you consult with the South African Super 14 coaches regarding your selection for this tour?
Of course. If you think this is only your game, you are dead. You are only part of it and they are also part of it, so we work together as a unit. I consult all the Super 14 coaches because one of them could be the next Springbok coach.
What were you up to while the players were involved in the Super 14?
The same things McGeechan was doing – watching rugby – except we have a bigger country and the Super 14 is played over great distances so it was a bit more hectic. We also made a few trips to watch some Six Nations games and we did some planning for our run-up to the World Cup.
What did you make of the standard of rugby that was played in this year’s Super 14?
I think the rugby that has been played, particularly by the South African sides, has been brilliant. South African rugby is on the up and South African sport as a whole is on the up.
By Andrew Worling
This interview first appeared in SA Rugby magazine
32 Comments
12 Jun 2009, 12:35 pm
Heaven help us!
12 Jun 2009, 12:56 pm
What the hell is all this mystical metaphor speak about? Why can’t he just give straight answers? Instead we get gobbledygook nonsense about knocking out walls and fatal accidents and dressing for the weather.
“Injury ruled Butch James out of the Lions tour. Was he a candidate for selection?
Every South African rugby player is a candidate to play for the Springboks if they are good enough. I don’t have any control over injuries. Today somebody will get injured, tomorrow somebody else and after that someone else. But that is why God gave us so many people around us so that we can just adapt to the circumstances.”
Answer the fckn question – no one’s trying to catch you out here.
12 Jun 2009, 13:00 pm
Hoekom is PdeV se oge so groot, lyk hulle peul uit?
En hoekom hang sy snor so links?
En hoekom praat hy so snaaks?
12 Jun 2009, 13:02 pm
‘I expected to be greeted by sunshine this morning…..?’
12 Jun 2009, 13:05 pm
i thought at first glance he’s of the track again, but holistically speaking he is not giving anything away to the media.
Lets hope Piet Snor has the courage to appoint the correct team, as they played in the S14(final hehe).
Fact is that if asked a stupid question like “Are you feeling the pressure ahead of this series?” the obvious answer is “yes”, next question? And then the media will blast on about Piet Snor not being able to deal with pressure.
Or the question about Smit playing tighthead, the answer between the lines is simply it’s John’s call on the field to make it work. Of course he is worrying about the position, that’s why he gave it to his lieutenant.
Methinks we are not trying to give the Snor a break, especially the media.
SO, lets at this stage fall in behind him and his team and give the Lions the snotclap they deserve. And if we don’t in the 1st test, remember history in that the Boks or any international team for that matter, struggle in their first game in the year.
Like the Lions did, like we did last year against who-ever we played.
12 Jun 2009, 13:06 pm
#3 Pietman: Hoesit Pietman!!!
12 Jun 2009, 13:08 pm
The Tiger Woods of coaching.
Or is it the Charlie Chaplin of coaching?
12 Jun 2009, 13:15 pm
He’s answers are like Nostradamus’ poems.
Love it.
12 Jun 2009, 13:19 pm
#8 Dantalion: maybe more like confucious?
12 Jun 2009, 13:21 pm
#9 EEE: no actually more like Dr Suez (sp?)
12 Jun 2009, 13:24 pm
#10 EEE: Ok got it right now hopefully….Dr. Seuss
12 Jun 2009, 13:47 pm
So if I understand him correctly:
When in Rome, don’t break your house down just because the sun isn’t shining. Instead, go back inside and change your clothes.
Furthermore, he will never risk a player’s life on the field of play, but if the player should be killed in a car accident, he will just replace him with someone else.
So what it all comes down to is: The Super 14 is the toughest competition in the world, and therefore if a player is good enough for the S14, he is good enough for the Boks. Unless he is Earl Rose, in which case he is just good enough for the Boks, period.
Did I get that about right?
12 Jun 2009, 13:49 pm
Did he actually answer any of the questions or am I just thick and not getting it?
12 Jun 2009, 13:50 pm
lol … gotta love the way he handled the interview. Good on you oom piet, these vultures will always try to set u up wherever u go, keep frustrating them with your answers to their loaded questions hahahaha I especially loved this -
John Smit hasn’t played much at tighthead this year. Does that concern you?
I expected to be greeted by sunshine when I woke up this morning and I got my clothes ready, but it was overcast. I don’t worry about how it’s going to be, what’s important is how I react to what happens. I just put those clothes back and changed. That’s life. John is a student of this game and he will take on any challenge to make a difference for his country.
hahaha this guy cracks me up!
12 Jun 2009, 13:54 pm
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Victor Matfield and John Smit meet in private to discuss their coach.
My goodness, they must let out all of their pent up emotions by getting together for weekly hour-long sessions of uncontrolled hysterical laughter.
12 Jun 2009, 14:01 pm
#15 Tacitus thinks the Bulls made certain “experts” look silly this season: I doubt they’d understand anything esp Vic who will probably still be stuck “wiff” the first answer
12 Jun 2009, 14:11 pm
#16 Grape White: Oh my word!!!! would you like a saucer of milk to go with that?
12 Jun 2009, 14:14 pm
As nice a guy as he seems these questions were put through the SARU/ANC machine first and PdV was given his replies.
12 Jun 2009, 14:17 pm
#17 EEE: why? u looking to share yours?
12 Jun 2009, 14:31 pm
#12 Tacitus thinks the Bulls made certain “experts” look silly this season: exactly. most definately, maybe – but on the udder hand sometimes if not all the time.
12 Jun 2009, 14:44 pm
#12 Tacitus thinks the Bulls made certain “experts” look silly this season: Didn’t they both come back from lucrative deals overseas to play for PdV?
12 Jun 2009, 14:52 pm
I think we just enjoy attacking PDV such that we dont even see some of the good things he does like getting the 97 Boks to come spend time with the current ones.even though some of his answers are not one that an ordinary person would usually give ,some of them did make sense.like the structure bit(isen this what we all cry about) and the whole players make the coach not the other way round.the kicking bit is right as well in my opinion ,u have to concentrate on all areas
what if it mean our support for PDV will be the difference to a successful whitewash??? then what?? i say lets support the boks wholeheartedly and that means PDV as well.
12 Jun 2009, 14:58 pm
When I read the article in the magazine, I almost cried for the players. How can you work under a manager (in this employment case, a coach) like that? Jo!Jo!Jo! Al these comments will be judged come kick-off on game day.
12 Jun 2009, 16:52 pm
Brilliance personified!
Hier kom ‘n ding.
12 Jun 2009, 18:38 pm
“I don’t worry about how it’s going to be, what’s important is how I react to what happens.”
No, moron. A coaches job is to worry about how it’s going to be, and prepare for all eventualities.
Or in language he might understand : if you go out in the morning expecting sunshine, make sure you have a jacket just in case it doesn’t turn out like that.
It’s known as having a Plan B. Fortunately the players are good enough that they don’t need a coach, but unfortunately they aren’t allowed to select the team themselves.
12 Jun 2009, 19:57 pm
Hahaha – he is off his friggin trolley!!! What kind of statement is this -
“It’s like being in an accident. If somebody dies in a car accident you just replace them and that’s what we will have to do.”
Ja man my daughter died in an accident yesterday but its ok hey – we´ve just decided to replace her.
Yeah Pieter – well said sir… we are groot k@k is all I can say.
12 Jun 2009, 21:45 pm
lmaoooooooo PDV is a legend
13 Jun 2009, 06:53 am
” … but we don’t have control over winning and losing.” Then who does?
13 Jun 2009, 09:07 am
Astonishing. A religious experience, reading this ****. This man’s mind is the work of a genius. It could not have evolved, becvause it’s clearly not the fittest. As the exception, he proves the theory of intelligent design. Or have I also been smoking too much of that green stuff?
13 Jun 2009, 09:30 am
This how the guy speaks,
Leave him be.
I will judge him on the field,
And yes I do have concerns……
14 Jun 2009, 04:38 am
#2 katman: Actually wrong – the S press have a reputation for trying to catch onto somethingthat teh coach stands for and rubbish it. I actually think that PdV has handled the unbridled poison that they are capable of wite well – I have to laugh at it sometimes, since it is so “in your face”.
21 Jun 2009, 19:21 pm
PdV never gives a straight answer – It just pisses me off!
At first I cut him some slack because English is his second language, but as my Afrikaans friends tell me, his spits equal bile when speaking kitchen dutch……grrrrr
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