De Villiers is actually the model rugby coach
Roar Guru By Greg Smith, 2 Jul 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- british and irish lions, International Rugby, Peter de Villiers, Rugby Union, South Africa rugby, Springboks
Related coverage
- Rugby Union news
- International Rugby Union - Six Nations, Heineken Cup, Rugby Championship news
- South Africa Springboks news
- British and Irish Lions news
The game of rugby is built around a variety of controlled violence and aggression which, some may argue, is essentially designed to stir up emotions.
In certain instances, emotional extremes are tested, especially where rugby forms part of the national psyche. It’s not just a game, some would insist, in a red mist of fanaticism reminiscent of ‘tribal’ football hooligans of the 1980s.
Then Peter De Villiers enters the stage.
Most rugby union fans around the world recognise De Villiers, the South African coach with the Tom Selleck moustache, but not because he is the first black national coach (not only for South Africa, but for many of the top Test playing nations).
His recognition is linked to his ability to make controversial statements.
Many hate him. I love him. I think he’s media gold and a great coach.
Here’s why:
1. De Villiers is a colorful character, he adds to the show. Goodbye Grumpy Henry. Who wants to look at the sour faces of stooges like Graham Henry, Robbie Deans or Warren Gatland ?
2. De Villiers takes the focus and pressure off of his players. He has stolen the spotlight. Everyone can’t wait to hear what he’ll come up with next.
3. De Villiers has a licence to design the team like no-one before.
4. De Villiers creates the impression that his team win IN SPITE OF HIM, rather than due to him.
5. De Villiers, through his very existence, reminds us that all that these superheroes in rugby are human and often are idiots like the rest of us.
6. De Villiers is the coach of a World Champion team that wins. This puts into perspective the claims of genius lauded upon various other coaches. How smart do you have to be?
7. De Villiers runs a professional ‘backroom’ and deceptively so. He is surprisingly well respected by players. His team of technical advisers feel he gives plenty of space for their input.
8. De Villiers reminds me that it IS just a game. Attaching your national psyche or self-worth to rugby is a joke.
9. De Villiers makes mistakes and says sorry (normally). He carries blame very well as a scapegoat when failure comes to visit.
10. De Villiers is unpredictable and transfers that perception to his team.
Basically, the man people love to ridicule and hate is a model coach. His greatest deception is that he’s not.
Recommend this story.
July 2nd 2009 @ 5:14pm
Brad said | July 2nd 2009 @ 5:14pm | Report comment
the points are all good and well if their intentional, unfortunatley Pdv is just a plain idiot. even a rookie golfer can get a hole in 1 but that does not make you a tiger woods
July 2nd 2009 @ 5:53pm
Photon said | July 2nd 2009 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
I’d be willing to agree with you guys in your judgement when you say he’s not responsible for the Boks’ success, except all your commentary is utterly self serving. When the Boks do something right it’s caus the players are in charge, but whenever something goes wrong it’s the coaches fault. Pieter de Villiers was very successful at under 21 rugby much like his predeccessor Jake White, many of the players in the present Bok side came through the system when he was the Under 21 coach, he reached a final and won the under 21 world cup while coacing there by the way. I guess many of you will now come out and say that under 21 must be super awesome then to and be managing themselves, except this won’t work caus South African players are suppossedly the dumbest brutes in world rugby. The truth is Pieter has made mistakes, everything he says is not cosher, but this is partly attributable to the fact that he is unfamiliar with all the lights and camera as wellas the fact that he is more afrikaans than English. As for the criticism, being Bok coach comes with criticism, Jake was hate dfor the vast majority of his tenure. There’s no job more difficult than being the Springbok coach, it’s impossibl;e to please everyopne, but you won’t understand unless you’ve been to this country and read the newspapers. Anyway I’m just glad the Boks are winning, I hope Pieter continues to learn, and gives players who’ve performed like Heinrich,Morne and Jacque Fourie more opportunities
July 2nd 2009 @ 10:44pm
katzilla said | July 2nd 2009 @ 10:44pm | Report comment
’4. De Villiers creates the impression that his team win IN SPITE OF HIM, rather than due to him.’
Lol Greg, you’ve structured that as if he planned it rather then thats what actually happens by default.
He is merely Clive Woodward with a big mouth, relying on a core of players to continue a high rolling lifestyle and fund homemade p0rno.
July 2nd 2009 @ 11:58pm
pothale said | July 2nd 2009 @ 11:58pm | Report comment
Except Clive Woodward has been successful and won a World Cup along with Grand Slams, etc.
PdV has won with the Boks – eh what exactly ????? No comparison. Yet.
July 3rd 2009 @ 6:14am
Loftus said | July 3rd 2009 @ 6:14am | Report comment
Yes,Pothole,but do you remember what Woodward has done when he coached the Lions? I m sure you ve been trying to erase that from your memory.De Villiers is on the brink of a 3 – 0 series win against the Lions and he even made 10 changes to his winning team.Even you have to respect this guy’s cheek!!!
July 3rd 2009 @ 10:17am
katzilla said | July 3rd 2009 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Thats not what i was infering Pothale and you know it. Stop being Pedantic.
Clive Woodward relied on the greatest concentration of talent ever to assemble in a white jersey to carry him to all of his trophies. And that was the point.
By the way PDV has a Lions series victory, something Woodward failed at miserably.
July 3rd 2009 @ 1:24pm
Temba said | July 3rd 2009 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
PDV is a tool, he is as stupid as he is stubborn. He contradict him self in almost every sentence he utters. He knows didily about rugby and if he was not black, his racist babble would have given him the sack ages ago. He falls back on “I’m a poor minority” every time he stuffs up.
He relies on the knowledge of his inexperienced but clever coaching team while the senior core group of the team is patching his faults on a minute by minute basis.
I feel sorry for John Smit, he is the best captain SA has ever seen, one of the best the world has ever seen. He is smart, honourable and dedicated enough to his country to stand behind this fool. Like someone pointed out before the other world teams should thank the rugby gods SA does not have a proper coach…Every coach in the world will give their left nut to have SA’s talent at their disposal.
PDV is a fool, a clown so far in the deep end and the noise he creates every time he opens his mouth is attracting the sharks. He will go down but he will take the Springboks with him and when the dust settles and everyone starts asking questions, he will hide behind his skin colour like the coward he is.
This is evident and clear to almost everyone, it’s not something I just sucked out of my thumb.
He had the best chance to take the 3N last year by winning in NZ for the first time in 10 years only to stuff it up and go home and lose two games, also a record.
PDV makes me sick and I feel ashamed to be South African every time he opens his mouth…
July 3rd 2009 @ 1:38pm
True Tah said | July 3rd 2009 @ 1:38pm | Report comment
Temba
think of PDV as like a handicap in golf. You guys have the best players (both in quality and depth), but you also have the worst coach.
NZ have an average coach and average players (lacking your two best players). Australia have the best coach and in terms of players we have got class (i.e. Giteau) plenty of youth but lacking the depth of South African rugby..
July 3rd 2009 @ 1:50pm
Temba said | July 3rd 2009 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
Here’s the kicker, the Bulls team that played in the S14 final under Bulls management would have smashed the B&I Lions, hell a fully strength Cheetahs would have done that without breaking much of a sweat. This is how backward PDV makes the Springboks look…
It would be funny had it not been so bloody sad.
Greg normally I find your posts and articles amusing but it’s not just a game. What your son plays on Saturday is just a game. Ask any All Black, Wallaby even a Lions player and they will tell you. These boys get paid and paid well, it’s a game that carries the hopes and pride of nations. You would do well to tell you friend PDV this as it all seems like a bit of a joke to him.
July 3rd 2009 @ 1:56pm
Temba said | July 3rd 2009 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
TT I agree but when the cycle turns the AB will get back to strength and the Wallabies will develop depth under Deans. Unfortunately for the Boks PDV will continue to be the putter they have to drive with.