Lame legacy for spineless De Villiers
12 Oct 2011
RYAN VREDE writes that Peter de Villiers styled himself as the puppet master for the Springboks but ended his reign as no more than a puppet.
De Villiers wanted his legacy to be about evolving the Springboks tactically and implementing meaningful transformation. He failed on both counts and will be remembered for his lack of backbone in resisting the agenda of his senior players, poor selections, technical ineptitude and embarrassing media offerings.
The Springboks crashed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage on Sunday, equalling their worst-ever performance at the global showpiece. Defeat to Australia was neither surprising nor disgraceful, but it is a fitting exit point a coach as ill-equipped as De Villiers was.
I overheard him speaking to a group of people in the Springboks’ team hotel last week. ‘I’ve been building towards this for four years,’ he said. ‘After this I don’t want to see a rugby ball.’
He shouldn’t have seen one at Test level in the first place. De Villiers was selected ahead of a far superior candidate, Heyneke Meyer. South African Rugby union president Oregan Hoskins said the decision was motivated by the need to have a black coach. Four years later Hoskins and his provincial presidents are still in power, while De Villiers will struggle to find a job with an elite franchise and will never coach a major Test nation again.
From the outset of his tenure he positioned himself as the antithesis to former coach, Jake White. He expressed strong views on a range of subjects relating to the Springboks, most notably stressing that they would play a more expansive brand of rugby and committing to improve what he said was a slow rate of transformation under White. The former ideal was shelved after one abysmal season, the senior players, most notably Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez, engineered a shift to more pragmatic approach.
Meanwhile De Villiers window-dressed beautifully with regards to the introduction of black players, without implementing any meaningful change. The core of his preferred side was the one that won the World Cup for White. Beast Mtawarira is Zimbabwean born, Odwa Ndungane was Test impostor and Chiliboy Ralepelle still knows more about the composition of tackle bags than he does about the rigours of Test rugby.
De Villiers’ record – Played 48 Won 30 Lost 18 (62.5%) – is poor, especially since he has had the finest generation of players in some time at his disposal. Examine his record against Australia and New Zealand, the benchmark against which the Springboks should measure themselves, and his mediocrity is starkly illuminated. Four wins from 12 against the Wallabies and five from 11 against the All Blacks is utterly unacceptable.
De Villiers enjoyed great success in 2009, beating the British & Irish Lions and later capturing the Tri-Nations title. However, by that stage the puppets had realised the puppet master’s lack of aptitude in handling them. They cut the strings and reattached them to his appendages.
Those players then duly decided for themselves they had a World Cup left in them. A more astute coach would have recognised they reached the very peak of their powers – particularly in the case of John Smit, Bryan Habana, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha. He claimed experience would be crucial at the World Cup. Experience, however, counts for very little when you lack the physical ability to execute the lessons experience has taught.
The Lions series also saw the nadir in De Villiers’ flirtations with insanity during press conferences. In the post-match gathering after the second Test he vehemently denied Schalk Burger has eye-gouged Luke Fitzgerald, despite video evidence showing he had. This incensed the travelling media contingent, who asked him about the incident once more on the following Monday, offering him a shot at redemption. De Villiers delivered a series of embarrassing rebuttals, none more so than: ‘If we wanted to eye gouge Lions, we would go to the bush, find some and do it there.’
Never must a political agenda, any agenda for that matter, take precedence over rugby credentials when selecting a Springbok coach. Those who drove De Villiers’ cause are the same men who desperately sought the assistance of Rassie Erasmus ahead of the World Cup to compensate for what their chosen one lacked in technical and tactical skill. They need to be accountable, Hoskins more than any.
However, De Villiers cannot be mitigated. He must be measured by the standards he has set. His repertoire of one-liners is impressive, his favourite being: ‘Even the bad days are good.’ On the contrary, the bad days have been very bad, none more so than in Wellington on Sunday.
By Ryan Vrede, in Auckland
Follow Ryan’s World Cup coverage on Twitter
483 Comments
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12 Oct 2011, 03:16 am
Useless gecko.
Can we moveon now? The RWC is done, PdV is done, the senior boks are done and hopefully the contract on Bryce
12 Oct 2011, 03:17 am
Never despair when ET is here.
All is not lost as I unveil for you the new ‘Bok #7 for the next season:
n.co.uk/sport/video/2011/oct/11/antelope-crashes-cyclist-race-video
12 Oct 2011, 03:26 am
@ET.(ET.)-2:
Sorry!
Some error crept in. Lets try this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/oct/11/antelope-crashes-cyclist-race-video
12 Oct 2011, 03:40 am
@ET.(ET.)-3:
Still a problem.Third time lucky with youtube addy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPEETDfvzvA
12 Oct 2011, 03:45 am
It was always about a test in transformation. Can we conclude that it failed?
12 Oct 2011, 03:46 am
This story deserves some serious investigative journalism. The public deserves to know who did what when. Hoskins is culpable, the players got themselves into deeper water than they could handle, PdV blabbered his way through the sorry mess, and the spectators were gobsmacked at what unfolded.
A thorough journalistic expose would at least restore a degree of accountability at all levels, including at the level of Regan Hoskins and Jurie Roux. It’s hard to imagine that they were unaware of the dynamic between PdV and the players. More likely they imposed it on PdV.
Keo – I’ll buy the first copy of the book.
12 Oct 2011, 03:56 am
from The Australian Newspaer
LIMITING THE POWER OF THE WHISTLE
There are no doubt a lot of Australian rugby supporters celebrating our victory over the Springboks yesterday. There are also a number of us that are wondering how on earth we managed to pull it off against a side that dominated possession and territory and lineouts. Now, I don’t want to take anything away from the Australian victory – our boys did perform superbly but on the day the Springboks were, we have to admit, the better side. The boks, as always were magnanimous in defeat with a somewhat pragmatic approach to the result. I wonder what our boys would have said faced with the same situation of blatant incompetence by Mr Bryce Lawrence.
I support Australia and always will but for those of us that believe in fair play this was a hollow victory. This was very much like fighting a worthy opponent with one arm strapped behind his back – it leaves a bad taste. There were rumours about Mr Lawrence’s impartiality before kick-off from a lot of ex pat South Africans now living in Australia but we tend to dismiss these conspiracy theories with a grin. Certainly, Mr Lawrence’s performance on the field did nothing to dispel those theories. His performance was nothing short of abysmal. He did not award the bok try because of a dubious forward pass. I have looked and looked and to me, anyway, it did not look forward. Minutes later when the boks once again breached our defences and were well on the way to scoring another try, he called them back for a forward pass. If the first call was contentious, there certainly was nothing wrong with the second one. Here, I must ask – why not use the “eye in the sky”? An impressive expensive piece of equipment that should be used for such decisions.
He failed to penalise Pocock for slowing the ball down. If we had played like that against the All Blacks, they would not have been so quiet about it. – and rightly so. In the dying minutes of the game he was in full view of at least 2 high tackles by our boys that went unpunished. Any of these transgressions, if properly acted on, would have surely given the game to the Boks with their advantage over territory. To rub salt in the South African wounds, he awarded a high tackle to the Wallabies for a chest high tackle.
We won, but did we really? Our sport has always been regarded as a “hooligans game played by gentlemen” – If we do not want rugby union to degenerate into a farce that soccer can become we need to make sure that our refs are of suitable calibre. They need to be trustworthy gentlemen.
Mr Lawrence, I would advise against any planned holidays to South Africa for a couple of years.
Chris Davis
The Australian
12 Oct 2011, 03:59 am
“Mr Lawrence, I would advise against any planned holidays to South Africa for a couple of years.”
Bolloks, you see Barnes is alive and fine in NZ despite all hate a few years ago. So will Lawrence.
Piet van Zyls are small minority.
12 Oct 2011, 04:08 am
Nothing you print now will save the situation. It is history.
Where was the guts in 2008 when some here called him a puppet on strings pulled in all directions by his 2007 WC senior decrepit players?
It was even then predicted they would not retain the RWC in 2011 because of that sick situation.
A national team is bigger than any group of players trying to hijack the team for their own purposes.
12 Oct 2011, 04:09 am
@funkyzoo(funkyzoo)-6:
Far too late. The matter is now dead and buried. It is history.
12 Oct 2011, 04:10 am
@Nils(Nils)-8:
Enjoyed that bit on General Weepu.
How did Corporal Cruden perform for you?
12 Oct 2011, 04:17 am
@ET.(ET.)-11: To be honest, I watched the game as a lazy spectator, so I can give only a layman’s opinion. He did OK enough for a kid enjoying vacation and getting a call to be the next saviour of the nation, funny enough I feel more comfortable with him than Slade (ok, he is gone now). As long as he and Piri remain in full health, there is no reason to fall into despair, of course, huge problems remain but show me who has not them. Perfect time to show ABs have the balls.
Piri stood up, glad to see.
12 Oct 2011, 04:21 am
@ET.(ET.)-11: You know when the ABs will be in real trouble?
When somewhere in the night Latvian time my phone rangs and voice says “Hi, it’s Graham Henry, would you like to fly down there to replace Donald on Sunday?”
12 Oct 2011, 04:22 am
@Nils(Nils)-12:
Well a lot of the established players were pretty happy with the confidence that came oozing from Cruden and demonstrated that profusely and in numbers after one good break.
You do realise he has now played 7 games for the ABs and has never been in a losing AB team. Long may it continue.
12 Oct 2011, 04:23 am
@Nils(Nils)-13:
Very funny. Simply do not answer the phone then. Let it just ring merrily away while you enjoy the tune.
12 Oct 2011, 04:23 am
@ET.(ET.)-14: 2 next games will be enough for now.
12 Oct 2011, 04:29 am
@Nils(Nils)-12:
During the S15 season Hurricane and I spoke about the skills of Cruden .
Last week we spoke about him again when Slade was shaky against Canada. I said he was a confident player and kicked for goals well when I saw him in the S15.
Now he has the task and he looks unfazed about it. Just another game for Mr. Cool Hand Aaron.
12 Oct 2011, 04:38 am
Rainbow man, you still here – haven’t you finished washing those cars yet. Be a good buy, hand the computer back and move it along you rascist
12 Oct 2011, 04:44 am
You need to start that reading of 100 books to impeove just simple spelling.
” rascist ”
In case you have not yet realised it, that apt tag of yours only has a single ‘s’ – the first one is not required, moron.
12 Oct 2011, 04:46 am
But of course even the bad days were good for him, he got paid (and still is) whether he produced the goods or not. It was the poor supporters that had to endure 4 years of misery and mostly mockery from all and sundry. Putting in the odd great performance in spite of him barely helped us through it all…
12 Oct 2011, 04:50 am
@Steve123(Steve123)-7: That is a made up article that has only been posted on South Africa forums and blogs.
As far as I can see, it never appeared in The Australian newspaper, and was probably written by a bitter South African.
If that is the case, it is pretty embarrassing.
12 Oct 2011, 04:51 am
Haha you fall for it every time rainbow man.
12 Oct 2011, 04:53 am
Hahahaha old corpus mentis handing out spelling lessons!
Rule #1 – when pointing out spelling mistakes to others make sure you read and correct your own post before hitting the submit button…
In his own words…a stupid remains a stupid!
12 Oct 2011, 04:57 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-21:
Howls, I think it was a comment below an article rather than the article itself.
Anyway, it is now Humpday and well past the point where we should move on. Brycie and whoever instructed him will get what is coming their way sooner or later, we don’t have to worry about it…
12 Oct 2011, 05:01 am
And on a another departure I see it’s farewell to Manie Reyneke over at the Lions. Good news for all concerned I think.
12 Oct 2011, 05:02 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-20: In the majority, there’s increasingly less pride about the quality of what one does on a global scale. But then again, if he was doing nothing for the last 2 + years, you’d hope that he continued doing nothing for the remaining months.
For entertainment value, I wouldn’t mind reading a few more one liners though. Maybe it would have been better had his contract lasted for another 6 months so that the rest of the team can regroup without too much attention. Perhaps he could release a book or a movie or something.
12 Oct 2011, 05:03 am
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-25: Thinking about it he also leaves behind a bit of a “lame legacy”…:)
12 Oct 2011, 05:04 am
@Yetirat(Yetirat)-25: Haha. Do you think he may become coach of the Boks. Still an improvement
12 Oct 2011, 05:04 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-24: Then it shouldn’t be presented has having appeared in The Australian newspaper, and written by a made up reporter called Chris Davis.
I am surprised he didn’t go for Bruce Bruce.
12 Oct 2011, 05:09 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-29:
Ja well Howls, I try but can’t get to all the idiots that post on this blog…
But speaking of which, I met a couple called Bruce and Shiela, I kid you not! Every time I see them I crack up.
12 Oct 2011, 05:15 am
In 2009 I had huge respect for Smit. Now I can’t stand the sight of the man! He makes me sick! Fat, plodding, wobbly, kak-infested, ego maniac who kept out probably our greatest ever hooker from playing. Along with FdP who plays like an old man when we had a bright young buck full of energy and speed sitting on the bench. We could’ve put an awesome team together that mixed the (competent) experienced with the up-and-coming youth like De Jongh, Lambie, Ebersohn and so on and not the decrepit 2007 has-been with the JW skop en jag archaic blueprint!
Oh well the silver-lining in this is that had the Boks won and marched onto the semis, even if we had lost to the ABs, PdV probably would have had his contract extended by Saru for another 4 years! Smit probably would’ve probably carried on hanging around in the background and probably installed himself as an assistant coach. And we would’ve had to put up with 8 years of skop en jag one-dimensional game plan and see our results get worse and worse and worse.
The one good thing is that now we have the chance to clear out the cancers. There is a good core group to start from scratch with: Lambie, Hougaard, Bismarck, Beast, Alberts and Brussow. Now we have the chance to bring new, dynamic blood.
12 Oct 2011, 05:35 am
Well, at least he is gone and we can try and rebuild. My biggest fear is the other morons at SARU who will no doubt conspire to f$ck it up again.
12 Oct 2011, 05:41 am
@My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-32:
It will be par for the course Trup…
12 Oct 2011, 06:02 am
PDV = Bollox 24/7
12 Oct 2011, 06:03 am
Hey Slarti, see u have a golf course there with sharks in a water hazard?
Cost an arm and a leg to play there?
12 Oct 2011, 06:05 am
9/11 – Bin Laden
9/11 – Bryce Lawrence
12 Oct 2011, 06:07 am
@My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-35:
Hehe ja en sommer ‘n meneer ook! Hulle voer hom kuk caddies elke dag…
12 Oct 2011, 06:09 am
Based on their performance in the quarter- final the Boks can feel hard done by
but
to be honest, given the garbage served up over the last 24 months they got what was deserved.
Whilst I feel sorry for the players as I know everyone on them did/wld willingly put their body on the line for the cause, I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for the coaches and administrators -they failed appalinglyvin carrying out their duties.
Words like shambolic, naive, incompetent, amateur and shameful spring to mind.
Good article
12 Oct 2011, 06:10 am
Lol…vat visstok saam
12 Oct 2011, 06:12 am
Ja Train, the old story of a professional game being run by amateurs to secure their own salaries
12 Oct 2011, 06:19 am
@My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-40: If you get a salary, you’re not amateur.
12 Oct 2011, 06:21 am
Whatever Tickles. Even in the amateur era the administrators got paid
12 Oct 2011, 06:23 am
@My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-39:
Hehe ander plek die, ruk terug was daar ‘n advertensie op TV van ‘n Amerikaner iewers naby Cairns,vra hy die Aussie of daar enige haaie in die water is, Aussie se nee en terwyl die Amerikaner sy hemp afpluk en water to hardloop se die Aussie – yes, the crocodiles chased them away!
12 Oct 2011, 06:29 am
Rubbish Tackles, getting paid does not make you a professional! Take you as an example, just because the old age home ‘pays’ you with their leftover sandwiches does not make you a profesional bed pan cleaner.
12 Oct 2011, 06:32 am
I vote Ryan Vrede for Springbok coach!
- He’s the most clever rugby brain in South Africa.
- The Springboks would score plenty of tries from all over the place under him.
- He’d make Puke Watson Springbok captain – instructed to do so by his boss.
- Would bring about a faster rate of transformation while winning 80% of the time.
12 Oct 2011, 06:51 am
Tickles cleans the bedpans for free. Its the used dentures he’s after.
12 Oct 2011, 06:52 am
Hmmmm….what u call a ******** that screws chickens?
Hendrik.
12 Oct 2011, 06:54 am
That’d be d u thcman….keo, this censorship is getting ridiculous!
12 Oct 2011, 06:59 am
@My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-46:
True but I was not going to tell everyone…
12 Oct 2011, 06:59 am
Jeez, the Keo senior players (journalists) guys get salaries for copying each others work.
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