PdV quits as Boks crash out
9 Oct 2011
Peter de Villiers has quit after coaching the Springboks to a World Cup quarter-final defeat in Wellington.
De Villiers’ contract has expired and after a four year tenure marked by controversy and criticism, he will opt not to put forward his name as a candidate for the now vacant post.
‘Its been a brilliant journey and one that none of you [the media] can take away from me,’ he said. ‘There’s a time to come and a time to go. The journey is over.
‘I enjoyed it. I was in a privileged position to be able to contribute to my country. South African rugby is in a good state and will move forward after this.’
Asked how he wanted to be remembered, De Villiers said: ‘As the best me I could be.’
De Villiers ends his career with a 63% success rate, winning 30 of his 48 Tests. However, measured against the best in the world he has struggled. With the defeat in Wellington this evening his record against Australia dipped to four wins from 12, while he has won just five from 11 against the All Blacks.
De Villiers enjoyed the bulk of his success in 2009, winning a series against the British & Irish Lions, as well as the Tri-Nations. However, outside of that the Springboks have struggled, this with arguably the finest generation of players in decades at his disposal.
His loyalty to captain John Smit, despite the rise of the incomparable Bismarck du Plessis, has elicited severe criticism. He sought out Smit in 2008 while the Test veteran was contracted to French outfit Clermont, offering him the captaincy, then persisting with him despite Smit touching the ceiling of his potential in 2009.
Smit was liberal in his praise of De Villiers. ‘We’ve had a good four years. He isn’t a coach in the usual mould but one we’ve thoroughly enjoyed,’ Smit said. ‘He has given us leeway and space and tightened the reigns when he needed to. He is a great man and coach.’
De Villiers was appointed ahead of superior candidates, most notably Heyneke Meyer, in 2008, South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins citing ‘reasons other than rugby credentials’ as the reason for the decision.
There isn’t a clear favourite for the post. Meyer has signed a long-term deal with the Bulls as their director of rugby and has indicated repeatedly to this website that he isn’t considering applying for the job. The Stormers duo of Rassie Erasmus and Allistair Coetzee are expected to toss their names into the hat, while others like Lions coach John Mitchell and former Saracens head Brendan Venter have been mentioned as possible candidates.
By Ryan Vrede, in Wellington.
695 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 14 » Show All
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
@Ngqawa(Ngqawa)-136:
At this stage, before S15 form etc. I’m hoping for a Bok squad resembling this.
1 Beast Mtawarira
2 Bismarck du Plessis
3 Jannie du Plessis
4 Flip van der Merwe (but unsure…. what else can we do?)
5 Andries Bekker
6 Heinrich Brussow
7 Juan Smith
8 Schalk Burger
9 Ruan Pienaar (I know what people think, but my opinion, with the right coaching, he’s the man to help Hougaard become the scrumhalf we need)
10 Morne Steyn
11 Bryan Habana
12 Francois Steyn
13 Jaque Fourie
14 JP Pietersen
15 Patrick Lambie
16 Chilliboy Ralepelle
17 Coenie Oosthuizen
18 ? Not sure ? Juandre Kruger maybe?
19 Willem Alberts
20 Francois Hougaard
21 Johan Goosen
22 Juan de Jongh
And I would also include CJ van der Linde, Nick Koster, Johann Sadie & Jean de Villiers.
The only guys remaining in SA that I wouldn’t include (that were part of the World Cup squad) would be Pierre Spies & Butch James. In Butch’s case it comes down to him saying he’s retiring soon rather then what he could add to the team.
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
hopefully meyer with the stormers coaches
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
As Bok supporters we are sad to have been sent home today. Next week two more teams will be sad and then there will only be one happy team. Why they even play the 3rd and 4th place games is beyond me.
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
John Smit shot himself in the foot. He will never be forgiven.
Anyway, things can only improve without those coaches, tits being shown the door, young talents in Lambie and Hougaard coming good along with the loose trio of Burger, Smith and Brussow.
Money isn’t an issue. Don’t settle with an average coach. Eddie or Mitchell as assistants.
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
i heared Alan Zondagh might be the next coach …. between 4 :
B Venter
A Coetzee/Rassie combo
Alan Zondagh (favourite)
Eric Sauls…
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
PDV has not been the best, but he got his bok team to peak for this game. pity they just could not close it out against a committed and full strength aussie outfit. boks can hold their heads high despite what some very upset people are saying in the heat of disappointment.
9 Oct 2011, 11:26 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-151:
My opinion on Johann Sadie – he should play on the wing.
9 Oct 2011, 11:27 am
Jon Smit Will continue to coach the boks, just not in a player/coach role anymore.
9 Oct 2011, 11:28 am
to be honest hendrikp
drop habana time for him to hang up the boots
bring in deysel bring in vermulen drop spies
other wise i agree with your side
9 Oct 2011, 11:28 am
@Boks_B_to_win_RWC_2011(p0ppa69)-155:
Eric Sauls? Now I know you’re full of s**t.
9 Oct 2011, 11:29 am
who the hell is Alan Zondagh ?
i heard zuma wants malema as next bok coach
9 Oct 2011, 11:30 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-150: AC will just be more of the same imo. Or maybe who get’s the headcoach job isn’t the real problem. Maybe the ones we should be worried about is his asst’s. A good backline/attacking coach is non-negotiable I think.
9 Oct 2011, 11:30 am
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-158:
Please NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. He was selfish not to step down with Ricky. Selfish indeed. Don’t come with the great he did. He will be remembered for the harm he caused. Not a great way to be remembered. But it counts for nothing now and most said we would lose in the quarters and we did. Whether by two points or ten we lost. Let’s look to the future now…
9 Oct 2011, 11:30 am
@klippies101(klippies101)-159:
Deysel is another dinosaur. We don’t need a loose-forward who only knows how to put his head down.
And Vermeulen is so injury prone, and not quite up there with some of the other in my opinion. He wouldn’t let the Boks down, but we have so many talented loose-forwards, that I would put him a little down the list.
9 Oct 2011, 11:31 am
Well played Boks
9 Oct 2011, 11:32 am
Has D*ck Muir resigned too.
Please.
9 Oct 2011, 11:32 am
@klippies101(klippies101)-161:
Alan Zondagh coaches WP before Alan Solomons.
I wouldn’t mind him as a backline coach, but he’s far too much about unstructured rugby to be successful. He’s been out of coaching a professional side for far too long to be able to take the Boks forward.
9 Oct 2011, 11:32 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-164:
Injury prone??? He played the whole super 15 and was played into the ground. The best 8 in SA for sure.
9 Oct 2011, 11:33 am
i always felt sorry for j botes never making the boks
9 Oct 2011, 11:34 am
John Mitchell or Eddie Jones as assistants.
9 Oct 2011, 11:34 am
@klippies101(klippies101)-169:
There were much better players who didn’t make the side and much worse that did. Greyling, Kruger to mention two lucky buggers…they are putrid yet have Bok jersey’s are reward for mediocrity
9 Oct 2011, 11:35 am
@klippies101(klippies101)-159:
Also on Habana. He’s still a young guy. He was good again against Australia tonight I think. Looked dangerous when he got a bit of ball, which is all he needs.
Ideally I’d keep him in the squad until someone demands a spot. I sure as hell wouldn’t drop him for Mvovo, Basson etc.
Bryan Habana would start in the 11 jersey, and if Johann Sadie plays like I think he would in the position, I’d then hand it over to him.
9 Oct 2011, 11:36 am
Anyway, I must go. For me, if only a South African is to get the job, we need a new broom to sweep things clear.
My vote goes to Brendan Venter. Innovative, creative and not afriad to say it as it is. Director of rugby at Saracens who this year won the English Premiership for the first time in their history.
9 Oct 2011, 11:36 am
john would be a great coaching option for the boks he did well with the all blacks
and wasnt bad with the force
9 Oct 2011, 11:36 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-172:
11 and 14 are always going to be affirmative action positions… Sadie will have to play centre.
9 Oct 2011, 11:37 am
Otherwise I am not averse to the idea of a foreign coach.
If Australia can swallow their pride and employ a Kiwi coach, so can we.
But that coach must have an impeccable record of winning trophies to be considered.
9 Oct 2011, 11:38 am
It was so obvious the Boks were in trouble. How many times did I complain about Spies, Roussouw and Smit starting. Spies the p-ussy got man handled and failed to impose himself at all. Roussouw was lazy and gave away the last penalty and Smit was exhausted after 10 minutes and failed to stop whorewill from scoring. du Plessis would have latched on to the ball and driven that re-tard back.
Well done PdV. I hope I never hear or see you again, crawl back to the illegal shack under the highway which you came from.
9 Oct 2011, 11:39 am
it has to be mitchell there is no one else wo can compare,inside knowledge about australians having coached the force and all blacks having coached them before and proven he can get the best out of south africans with the lions.
It has to be him.
9 Oct 2011, 11:39 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-168:
Better 8′s: Schalk Burger if he played there. Willem Alberts if he played there (I do think he’s a 7 though). Nick Koster with a bit more experience.
I like Vermeulen, but he’s too slow for test rugby in my opinion. I just can’t see him there.
Burger is the man to fill the 8 jersey at the moment, and I think Koster brings rare athletic ability, which would make him a HUGE threat at the back of the scrum, and allow us to play a much more expansive game.
IMO Vermeulen should be playing at 7 if he ever wants to make a push for the Springboks. He’s a strong ball-carrier and taller which fits that position. I prefer my 8′s to be more elusive.
9 Oct 2011, 11:39 am
There’s no denying PDV has had his stuff ups and acted like an all round douche at times. But the amount of hypocrisy and general idiocy on this site directed towards him from the beginning has been down right embarrassing and only served to further reinforce the view of how precious our supporters can be. When PDV first took over he copped flak because apparently he was going to change the way the Boks play,using a more expansive, attractive game, so what did he do? He kept things the same: played the same way, selected the same players. Great right? Wrong he got accused of not moving the boks forward enough. Damned if you do damned if you don’t. My favourite line is “he wrecked everything Jake White built” hilarious, Jake was no master coach and I have no doubt if Jake was still in charge Smit would still be captain and Bismark would still be warming the bench just like today.
Now watch the next coach use the same out dated crash ball tactics, game after game and the same results. Nothing will change until we start playing smart rugby and stop playing bash ‘em up amateur ****. Coaching the boks is a poisoned chalice, from the moment you step in that hotseat, there’s about a million rugby fans who think they can do your job better than you.
And can we never mention Eddies Jones and “Bok coach” in the same sentence again? Thank you. Nothing against foreigners in fact I wouldn’t mind Mitchell but please I would even take Rudolf before Eddie (god forbid it ever come to that).
9 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
Unlucky Pieter, well done.
9 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-176: I’d get Ian McGeechan if he is still up for it.
9 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-175:
We are past that I think, especially with players like Beast Mtawarira, Chilliboy Ralepelle, Ashley Johnson & Juan de Jongh looking like they’ll play a big part in future sides.
If Sadie makes a success of the position, no one will complain. It’s only if he struggles that attention will be drawn to it.
9 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
@151. hendrikp
I agree with your team except on Ruan Pienaar. I’d still keep Guthro. Habana must go. I forsee a bright future for us if we get the right coaching combination.
9 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
And final thoughts:
1. Every game must matter for the Boks (not “Judge me on the World Cup”)
2. We need to add smart to our brawn. Too many times I’ve heard “you know what you get with SA.”
3. The new coach needs a performance clause in his contract.
4. We must not settle for second best when it comes to appointing a new coach – only proven winners, and if there aren’t any in SA, then look overseas.
9 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
@Ngqawa(Ngqawa)-184:
Hougaard is a brilliant player, but at this stage still an average scrumhalf. I’d like to see Ruan Pienaar in the 9 jersey until Hougaard becomes more structured, until he improves his decision making at the base. I predict that if he were given the 9 jersey, it wouldn’t be long before people call for him to be axed.
I’d also look at keeping Gurthro, but it will be hard considering he’s no longer playing in SA. Coenie Oosthuizen can’t be ignored much longer, so he’d have to push Beast out I think.
And Habana still has value. If you forget about the loss, Habana actually did well.
9 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
Goodbye Pete.
For what it’s worth,
you gave rugby some honesty that is not likely to be repeated.
i will miss You.
cane.
9 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
@Steel Shark(Steel Shark)-180:
Eddie would make a great assistant coach. He single-handedly made the Boks backline the best in the world in 07.
9 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-183:
Not at all! Look at all the wings in Currie Cup now. Sithole, Mvovo, Aplon, Habanna, Ndugane’s etc. It is fact mate.
9 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Jeepers i just said on the other thread i dont think we will get another coach and then i see this. Shame i dont blame him for i loss today. Rather the 2 who caused a stupid penalty and lost us our lead.
9 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-185:
Post of the thread so far.
#1 is the point that needs to be inputed into the team and its fans, will some fans anyway.
RWC is not the be all and end all. PDV should have been judges on allk games in the first 2 years, not a 6 week knockout tournament
Pride in that jersey is a must and winning all games brings it.
Good post Wooden
9 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
@cane(cane)-187:
Yeah if he coached the AB’s I would have also liked him.
9 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-186:
Sarel as the 9. Pienaar is a no no.
9 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
@cane(cane)-187:
Good man.
May not have been the best coach to take us forward, but I believe there was plenty to admire about the man himself, and how he handled a lot of the situations.
A true gentleman. All the best Peter. Unlike Straueli he is also willing to go quietly, and with his respect intact.
May the next Springbok coach have similar qualities… and the courage to say it like he sees it.
9 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-191:
Exactly what I have being saying. A test match is a test match. You play to win.
9 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-188:
The Boks had the best backline in 2007?
Nope, they did not.
9 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-193:
I keep hearing this, but Pienaar has had what opportunities? He was Player of the Year at Ulster.
Sarel Pretorius is nowhere near Springbok quality. To miss the most tackles of any player in Super Rugby is embarrassing.
9 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
The Bok side should be
15. Lambie
14. Jp (Until a special player is found)
13. Fourie
12. Steyn
11. Hougaard
10. Steyn
9. Sarel
8. Burger
7. Smith
6. Brussow
5. Bekker
4. Alberts
3. Jannie
2. Battleship (finally)
1. Beast
Eddie or Mitchell as coach/assistant coach.
9 Oct 2011, 11:52 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-189:
Springbok rugby is another story. Jean de Villiers played many games for the Boks on the wing sort of recently. Before that players like Pieter Rossouw, Dean Hall etc. were about.
9 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@Kobus Kitty(Kobus Kitty)-188:
He also lost 7 matches in a row with the Aussies and has the lowest winning % of any Oz coach. Again we need to stop comparing everything to 07, we hit some form and got a bit of luck with the draw. Jake White is not the greatest coach ever because he won the world cup and nor is Eddie Jones the greatest technical advisor (or whatever he was back then).
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 14 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.