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
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10 » Show All
12 Oct 2011, 15:42 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-399:
Fair call. In that case he’d be the one owning the jersey for the mean time. If he doesn’t impress, we could look elsewhere.
I think we can lock him in though.
12 Oct 2011, 15:42 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-399: Anti Frans Steyn sentiments must be banned
12 Oct 2011, 15:44 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-395:
Marcel is a good player,wonder why he has been moved to LH…He was a tighthead all along.even at Craven Week and SA juniors
Daniller is very very average. Dead average,a reincarnation of Johan Roets,pity is Cheeaths dont have as many weapons as Bulls to cover his inadequacies.Viljoen entering the line,adding attack dimension Cheetahs never had before was a big plus in 2011,his big drop goals also play a part in revival.
Also lost Frans Viljoen to Europe.
But guess we shall wait and see.
12 Oct 2011, 15:46 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-403:
A shame what happened to that Pietersen kid. Never recover fully from his injuries?
12 Oct 2011, 15:49 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-404:
Yeah Wilton Pieterson,dont know what happened to him. He had that Serge Blanco thing about.Huge pity,should be around 23/24 yrs old now
12 Oct 2011, 15:49 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-404:
WHAT ABOUT SYBRAND JANSE VAN JAARSVELD? ??
12 Oct 2011, 15:50 pm
@stew(stew)-402: this ain’t silverfern dude…
12 Oct 2011, 15:52 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-405:
Bit sad. Remember seeing him play one game and he looked like a star.
I agree with you about Daniller to an extent, but I’m trying to be enthusiastic about it
Outside of 4 locks and tightheads, we really are short on quality fullbacks in SA.
12 Oct 2011, 15:54 pm
@Helen(Helen)-406:
Best player ever. Next Springbok captain.
12 Oct 2011, 16:02 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-407: ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!!
12 Oct 2011, 16:04 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-410:
booty call.
12 Oct 2011, 16:06 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-389:
cheetahs don’t have a defence coach, they can’t afford one….the backline coach does the best he can as i understand.
I will reserve judgement on an entire host of this seasons cc young heros until i see them under the pump in superrugby.
eg: once again elton Jantjies looks like a legend as he did in last seasons CC…..and then he played superrugby. no doubt the experience has done him good but I would still like to wait and see.
12 Oct 2011, 16:08 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-411: It’s 4pm in the afternoon on a Wednesday. Why on earth would that be an option.
12 Oct 2011, 16:10 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-413:
Oh I forgot about daylight savings.
I thought it was 5pm, and you wanted some before dinner.
12 Oct 2011, 16:10 pm
Do you remember the days of trial games and the old North vs South?
Just for fun, we should make the most of racial tensions in SA at the moment and have a ‘fun’ game between an all white team and an all black team. The winner plays a team of 15 coloureds.
12 Oct 2011, 16:12 pm
elton Jantjes far better bet than the skop en jag artist…..who will fall away even more without FDP……
I have only heard good things about this Goosen chap but have not actually seen much of him so cant comment…..
But for me….Elton best 10 I have seen in a while….
12 Oct 2011, 16:12 pm
To attract more people to the game, the IRB should rule that there must be at least 1 woman in every team.
Just imagine the attraction of that!
12 Oct 2011, 16:15 pm
It’s ok. He answered. Drinks at 5!
12 Oct 2011, 16:16 pm
@Helen(Helen)-417:
Get her to play hooker.
12 Oct 2011, 16:17 pm
@Helen(Helen)-417: No. That would ruin the game. The teams would just go out of their way to chose some giant chick that is scary looking to maintain the physicality of the team as a whole.
12 Oct 2011, 16:17 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-418:
Two Keo bloggers doing it.
A result of the tension on here becoming sexual.
12 Oct 2011, 16:18 pm
I say make the refs women.
12 Oct 2011, 16:20 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-422:
On a serious note… I doubt the rugby public is ready for that.
12 Oct 2011, 16:22 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-422:
But they must wear a leotard.
I would do it, but with my erratic and profuse menstrual cycle, I’d probably spend most of the time in the blood bin
12 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-420:
At least the Bulls will have meisiekind to make up their quota
12 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-423: With all the flak the male refs are getting, I’m sure female refs would be better. For one thing. They can multi task. It is the one attribute that is crucial for a rugby ref. Have eyes in the back of your head. Women have been doing this for years.
12 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-423: they tried it in thr english premiership and immediately a SKY male presenter was sacked for comments unbecoming
about the female official.
12 Oct 2011, 16:25 pm
@Helen(Helen)-425: Heheheheh. That was mean. He could however give the players tips on hair styling.
12 Oct 2011, 16:25 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-427: That female official is still a lines woman and she is doing a good job.
12 Oct 2011, 16:25 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-427:
Yeah I’m sad to say I don’t think the rugby public would be very forgiving either.
Being a referee means putting up with a lot of abuse. Not sure it’d work out.
But I’d encourage it at lower grades… and then maybe… eventually, peoples mindset will change.
12 Oct 2011, 16:27 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-281: Yes! I like that backline!
12 Oct 2011, 16:29 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-387:
guffawing is the preserve of the hedge fund classes.
@>^..^< katman(katman)-393:
how not to piss your husband off when he comes home from work.
I would say a hummer would be a good start.
12 Oct 2011, 16:32 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-411:
siesjouvark.
transie and lilly are not friends with benefits.
12 Oct 2011, 16:32 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-432:
By “hummer” do you mean the car or making a tune with your mouth closed?
12 Oct 2011, 16:34 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-433:
The only ‘benefits’ of that freindship is that it is easier to push the hooker out of the car without paying, if there are two of you.
12 Oct 2011, 16:34 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-429:
ja, but do you trust her?
12 Oct 2011, 16:35 pm
@Helen(Helen)-434:
look you can make a noise if you want to.
as long as you finish the tune.
12 Oct 2011, 16:35 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-429:
Of course she’s doing a good job.
Women have a better sense of accurace when balls cross the line.
They can also spot a ruck entry from behind better than most men
12 Oct 2011, 16:36 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-437:
it is usually over when the fat lady humms
12 Oct 2011, 16:36 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-432:
jeepuz!
whats a ‘hummer’?
12 Oct 2011, 16:37 pm
@Helen(Helen)-424:
Note the pun!
12 Oct 2011, 16:38 pm
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-430: i wouldn’t advise it, some months back one of SARU’s uo and coming refs won a lawsuit against a parent who tackled and injured him during a high school game (i think it was Brandwag). now imagine a woman having to deal with drunk potbellied balies asking here to explain the last minute penalty she awarded against their team.
Even Willie Doos (em, sorry Roos) couldn’t take it after he was splashed with brannes after a Bulle vs Kwas game!
12 Oct 2011, 16:39 pm
@once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-440:
Last year I got a sweater for Xmas.
Would’ve prefered a screamer, to be honest
Even a hummer would’ve sufficed
12 Oct 2011, 16:40 pm
@Helen(Helen)-417:
Look at the boks…they have 22 women playing for them and they still get the attraction they require and to make matters worse…they got beat in the quarters against the wallabies!
12 Oct 2011, 16:41 pm
@once more just take a break on the beach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-440: I think Goenta is referring to his habit of making her hum selected tracks from Queen’s Greatest Hits 1 during fellatio.
12 Oct 2011, 16:41 pm
Still dont get
12 Oct 2011, 16:42 pm
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-444:
Only 11-9 against a bunch of girls?
Wow, those Aussies are strong hey?
12 Oct 2011, 16:44 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-445:
…and if her humming voice is not pitched correctly, you stab her shoulder with a fork
12 Oct 2011, 16:45 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-445:
there is a greatest hits 2?
12 Oct 2011, 16:45 pm
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-446:
Don’t blame you.
The practice of fellatio has not yet made its way to the Australasian subcontinent.
When it does, you’ll know.
There’ll be a bunch of girls in downtown Melbourne who’s faces look like glazed fruit
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.