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, 14:29 pm
Good players from the U20 squad I thought were:
Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Arno Botha, Johan Goosen, Francois Venter, Wandile Mjekevu, Tshotsho Mbovane & Jaco Taute.
Paul Jordaan was played out of position, otherwise I’d have included him as well. Ruan Venter also was injured so excluded.
12 Oct 2011, 14:31 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-298:
Are you making fun of us?
My dad is stronger then your dad.
12 Oct 2011, 14:34 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-293: I don’t know enough details but the current mechanism seems to be the root cause of problems. May be wrong though.
12 Oct 2011, 14:34 pm
Best joke, possibly the funniest, that Darren Simpson has ever done.
Q: What’s the difference between Bryce Lawrence and half a viagra?
A: At least with half a viagra, you’d get a semi.
12 Oct 2011, 14:35 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-300:
This incessant picking of tight fives, backlines, coaching panels, medical staff etc is like some kind of internet circle jerk for rugby anoraks.
I shall have no part of it.
I prefer to do my master my debate on my own.
12 Oct 2011, 14:36 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-279:
agree with you bud… we need a broad national strategy to get everybody pulling in the same direction, at all levels, in step and for the same reasons…
12 Oct 2011, 14:38 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-294: Lol. No thank you… One thing is for sure, in a couple of year’s time we will be talking about how farken good Lambie is, whether he plays 15 (preferably) or 10.
Taute, maybe.
The only reason Alberts is any good is because the Sharks plucked him out of obscurity and taught him how to be a proper hero. Dont try to steal the credit of all legitimate Sharks fans.
12 Oct 2011, 14:38 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-303:
You seem to know more than enough HG, because you nailed it.
12 Oct 2011, 14:38 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-305:
It’s not like we’re picking these fantasy teams without any insight and then leaving… simply pointing out which players I believe we should view as our best… our ideal player in these positions.
It only seems like child-play when it’s a team that makes absolutely no sense and the person isn’t able to argue his points for including certain players.
12 Oct 2011, 14:38 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-298: Anorak’s anonymous….
12 Oct 2011, 14:40 pm
@ufo(ufo)-306:
thank you.
but there are quite enough people pulling in the same direction here today as things stand.
12 Oct 2011, 14:41 pm
Allister Coetzee as a head coach is growing on me… but I hope he has suitable assistants.
Not many options for coaching the backline…
And plenty for the forwards. Wouldn’t mind the slightest if they kept Gary Gold on.
12 Oct 2011, 14:44 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-309:
but it seems addictive.
some of the worst offenders seem to put out 10 or 15 teams a day.
it’s gratuitous.
if they don’t exercise some caution they will end up with hair on their palms.
12 Oct 2011, 14:45 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-305: I’ll send you a link with rugby squads if you’re a little thin on names. Then you can master debate on it for a while before getting back to us.
12 Oct 2011, 14:47 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-308: Coming from you, a definite compliment, thanks.
An intuitive market mechanism would make more sense than it does now.
12 Oct 2011, 14:49 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-314:
thanks katters.
but I’m worried about where it will lead.
I have an addictive personality.
If its anything like blow I’m scared I will end up with the rugby anorak mass debater’s version of a deviated septum.
12 Oct 2011, 14:51 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-313:
Valid point.
12 Oct 2011, 14:51 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-307: Fck that sht. Alberts was almost sunk into mediocrity by the Sharks. He was colossal in a very poor Lions team and went from there to decidedly average at the Sharks, bar a couple of standout games, before Bok exposure brought him back to his current level. Credit to Div and the selectors for spotting his potential while Plumtree was doing his best to hide it.
12 Oct 2011, 14:53 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-311:
quite right gunther…
12 Oct 2011, 14:53 pm
Sacriledge!
The Greatest was exceptionally unlucky, the bugger loved the springbok.
12 Oct 2011, 14:53 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-316: True. And then, much like your nose, you won’t be able to pick a team either.
12 Oct 2011, 14:53 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-301:
Dude, for someone who lives in kiwi land, you seem to know a lot about SA rugby??
12 Oct 2011, 14:54 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-318: If the Lions can’t pay then they don’t stay.
Besides he loves it at the Sharks
Jealousy gets you nowhere.
12 Oct 2011, 14:55 pm
What do people think about Hawies Fourie as a potential backline coach?
Robbie Fleck – No thanks.
Pieter Rossouw – nope.
Paul Treu – Needs experience so nope.
Grant Bashford – Nope.
Carlos Spencer – Nope.
12 Oct 2011, 14:55 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-297:
Very true. For me its his decision making. He is unflappable and will only get better. Full arsenal of skills-not ridiculously great at any one of them BUT is the best allround.(Much like Carter who isnt the best defensive,passing,running,kicking etc but ALLROUND package is the best)…Jantjies & Goosen are more gifted talent wise but this kid just has it for test level at present
12 Oct 2011, 14:55 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-318:
Plumtree has lost interest at The Sharks. They are playing like schoolboys.
12 Oct 2011, 14:55 pm
@Helen(Helen)-322: And for a bloke you know a lot about menstruation.
12 Oct 2011, 14:56 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-318:
that is very true… his move to the sharks has done him no favours… if he was still with this lions side they be naming newly discovered animals after him…
12 Oct 2011, 14:57 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-301: That Carr is a good player… Kinetic energy personified at the junior’s World Champs…
Where is he now? I heard somewhere, I think here, that the Sharks contracted him.
12 Oct 2011, 14:57 pm
@Helen(Helen)-322:
My passion. Watch most CC games and a few others… including Vodacom Cup.
We get Rugby Channel so see about half of what you guys do, and I stream the rest… but having to stream all the CC games this year
12 Oct 2011, 14:57 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-325: But you must admit, Jantjies has had a great run of form the past 4 or 5 games.
12 Oct 2011, 15:00 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-327:
are you saying she is a he she?
12 Oct 2011, 15:00 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-329:
Definitely not contracted to the Sharks, yet.
I’d like him as a blindside. Think Arno Botha is also a blindside/number-8 sort of player… but Siya Kolisi should be playing number-8 full-time. Baby Boks really needed a fetcher, which is where they lost it I thought. That and struggling a little in the set-pieces.
12 Oct 2011, 15:02 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-332: Maybe I’m just yanking her chain.
Hang on, that’s innuendo too.
12 Oct 2011, 15:02 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-327:
Ahhh… that’s so sweet that you think I am a bloke. Just coz the gal has a bigger pair than you, aint make her a bloke
For a Lions supporter, you seem to know a lot about decorum
12 Oct 2011, 15:02 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-325:
While I agree that Lambie would make a good 10…
Say Goosen makes a very big impression in the Super 15, and then plays well for the Boks.
Would you want Lambie to continue at 10, meaning 2 suitable choices at flyhalf?
Or would you want him to play fullback?
Just curious is all.
12 Oct 2011, 15:02 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-324:
hendrik… i reckon the mass debate… as our bud gunnie says… should only be about head coach/manager/big cheese… whatever title we use…
because he must be given free reign to pick his own assistants and surround himself with the people he believes will best help him fulfil the vision/strategy/plan he sees for the boks…
we don’t need the dumbos at saru reading speculation in the press and feeling they have to accommodate people to keep as many fan-bases happy as possible… you know… if they think heyneke has the most support so let’s appoint him… but we can keep the sharks fans happy by appointing plumtree as forwards coach and wp fans happy by giving the back line position to AC… etc etc…
simplistically put but you get my drift…
12 Oct 2011, 15:03 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-333: Kolisi is the one WP player who has really impressed me this CC. I reckon he’s headed for higher honours too.
Shall we make some loose forwards lists?
12 Oct 2011, 15:04 pm
@ufo(ufo)-328: No, if you want to talk about a player whose career has really been set back by his Province it is Juan De Jong.
And it will continue.
12 Oct 2011, 15:04 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-329:
Nizaam Carr…?
playing for province… and we’ll keep him thank you… (hopefully
)
12 Oct 2011, 15:04 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-330:
What do you do in NZ?
No-one can watch that much rugby and have a paying job. Are you like a part time volunteer at the local rehab or something?
12 Oct 2011, 15:04 pm
@Helen(Helen)-335: Decorum? I’m usually a Red Heart guy, but I’ll try anything new.
12 Oct 2011, 15:05 pm
@Helen(Helen)-335:
What say you to this slander Fred?
12 Oct 2011, 15:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-329:
Carr is very very very good…Alongside Kolisi they are going to be superstars.Interesting about that Natal rumour regarding Carr. Highly doubt it though as they have a host of loosies: Deysel,Kankowski,Daniel,Alberts all in mid 20′s..Then youngsters like Marcel Coetzee,Sicelo Jafta & Lubabalo Mthembu.They are well stocked there.
@>^..^< katman(katman)-331:
Jantjes has been excellent.For me he & Goosen are most gifted of the lot.Hope they carry it to superrugby.
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-301:
Very true. Some NEEDS to get Mjekevu from the Lions otherwise he will dissapear into obscurity. He is only 20 years old.Apparently not highly rated by Mitchell who has put him behind likes of Killian,van Rensburg etc He is going to make a fantastic winger and later midfielder of note.(1,91m 90kg)
12 Oct 2011, 15:07 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-339:
Agree, Juan d J is probably our best prospect at 12 since the Hennie le Roux!
12 Oct 2011, 15:08 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-339:
disagree there…
firstly he’s always been with us coming up through the ranks… his rise continues and will reach the top this coming season…
also he is young and has been able to learn from JF and JdV… whatever people think of them they have great experience and are not too shabby… i think he’ll be the better player (long-term) for it…
12 Oct 2011, 15:09 pm
@ufo(ufo)-340: @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-344: Well, I must have remembered incorrectly.
12 Oct 2011, 15:10 pm
@Helen(Helen)-335:
katters is an old spice man.
red & white through and through.
very much a traditionalist ford cortina kinda guy.
12 Oct 2011, 15:10 pm
@Helen(Helen)-341:
Haha I manage. I’m self-employed… but waiting to get into the NZ Police which is like my dream job, if you can say that about a job.
I’ve just turned 24 so don’t exactly have plenty of responsibilities.
12 Oct 2011, 15:11 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-342:
Decorum is a Caribean drink that has been made pretty with an umbrella
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