Wallabies copy Boks tactics, says de Villiers
By Jim Morton, 27 Aug 2009 Jim Morton is a Roar Pro
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- Peter de Villiers, Rugby Union, South Africa, Springboks, Tri Nations, wallabies
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South African head coach Peter de Villiers speaks during a media conference at the Sun Square Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday July 2, 2009 ahead of Saturday's final test against the British Lions. AP Photo
South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has claimed the Springboks have become rugby’s modern-day revolutionaries which Australia and New Zealand are attempting to mimic.
In provocative comments sure to rile the Wallabies and All Blacks, De Villiers said his No.1-ranked team were now dictating terms to their Tri Nations rivals.
The outspoken coach was unrepentant for his side’s successful high-kicking power game which, while extremely effective, has been attacked for reducing the entertainment value of the Tri Nations.
Savouring an unbeaten first half of the tournament, De Villiers turned the attention on to his rivals by accusing them of copying world rugby’s new “leaders”.
“We always said when we took over this job that South African sport should be leaders and not followers any more,” he said after arriving in Perth on Wednesday.
“It took us a while from isolation to up to now to come to grips that we could be leaders.
“For other big countries in rugby like Australia and New Zealand to try to follow us now speaks volumes of the fact we can dictate the terms of how rugby can be played.”
In assessing NZ’s 19-18 Bledisloe Cup win over the Wallabies, De Villiers started by praising both side’s play before belittling them.
“There was more kicking in that game than there were in our games against any one of them,” he said.
“We are now determining how they are playing against each other too.”
De Villiers’ comments come five days after All Blacks coach Graham Henry criticised current Test rugby for incessant kicking affecting the sport’s product.
With only one try scored – by New Zealand midway through the second half – and 10 penalty goals kicked, it did appear both had taken a leaf out of the Springboks’ book.
De Villiers deflected Henry’s criticism, accusing the IRB’s lawmakers for introducing more kicking into the game.
He said the Springboks merely adapted best to the alterations, which prevents teams passing back into the 22 to kick out on the full.
“At this moment we don’t kick more, we kick more back,” he said.
“I think in Super 14 we showed you guys how we can adapt to that and now with the laws changed back again we’ve shown how we adapted back to that.
“We would like to entertain the people … (but) our obligation is first to the South Africans, and then the rest of the world.”
A victory over Australia in Perth on Saturday night would almost ensure South Africa would claim the Tri Nations.
The Springboks are on guard for the Wallabies breakdown pilfering which he described as “scary”.
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Neil said | August 27th 2009 @ 2:01am | Report comment
Why should he be repentant about coaching his team to play a winning tactic.
Love it. Love PdV … Best bok coach ever, the number’s prove it already.
It’s true though, that there were more kicks in the bledisloe games than the safrican games so far. They were just poor kicks and let the ball catcher create a bit of momentum.
Can you imagine Spiro Zavos’ face when he heard this? Beautiful.
Neil said | August 27th 2009 @ 2:03am | Report comment
I’ll bet the look was similar to when Giteau creamed Du Preez late and high and everybody in world rugby expected a citing. Luckily for him, he has been able to ignore that incident.
pothale said | August 27th 2009 @ 2:18am | Report comment
“He said the Springboks merely adapted best to the alterations, which prevents teams passing back into the 22 to kick out on the full.
“At this moment we don’t kick more, we kick more back,” he said.
“I think in Super 14 we showed you guys how we can adapt to that and now with the laws changed back again we’ve shown how we adapted back to that.”
I’m confused. What is the author/PdV talking about? What Laws changed and changed back again that changed how much kicking or “kicking back’ occurred in a game? The no-pass back into the 22 has been in play worldwide since August last year and was adopted into the Laws of the Game.
Is this more PdV confusion or poor reporting?
ohtani's jacket said | August 27th 2009 @ 2:19am | Report comment
Now this is entertainment!
mactheblack said | August 27th 2009 @ 2:28am | Report comment
YEAH, It doesn’t matter how you play, as long as you have the points on the board to prove it. You’ve got to give it to PDV and management for honing their game in a way where they can benefit the most from the laws. After all they (the Boks) don’t make them (the laws), they simply play to them – like every other team. But I don’t feel the ABs and Oz are following De Villiers’ strategy per se. They have realised that they but HAVE to resort to the kicking game too. Let’s admit PDV is actually quite good at getting up the noses of the opposition – another psychological ploy that the Aussies are so usually good at. PDV knows how daunting it is having to come up against the Aussies and the All Blacks, so having the edge off the field of play in the run-up to these games, he probably realises, can be to the team’s benefit. Stop falling for everything PDV says guys, he’s merely getting under the opposition’s skin. But that having been said, I think the kicking game is going to come unstuck sooner rather than later, and it could happen on the Boks 3Nations tour Down Under. But question: Do both the ABs and Wallabies have the team to outwit the Springboks AT HOME? It’s a difficult question to answer, as both teams Down Under are performing inconsistently. This is not the most skilful Bok team (the ABs are by far the most skilful and imaginative rugby players on the planet), but being a South African myself, I know is a very together and single-minded Springbok team, who are not going to let their bubble be burst very easily. I say as has been proven against the Boks in the past, RUN at them the All Blacks for the full 80 minutes, but incisively and wear out their forwards’ tired legs … and PLEASE don’t spill the ball.
Darryl SA said | August 27th 2009 @ 6:09am | Report comment
Ah yes, the usual pre game back and forth between coach and local media. Good, nothing has changed. Let’s see if PdV’s little chastisement by SARU has taught him anything. Hopefully no more weird metaphorical tangents. Let the games begin!
Onside said | August 27th 2009 @ 6:49am | Report comment
Australian rugby supporters on this site,including me, continually miss the point.
80.000 people paid good money to see the Wallabies play in Sydney.How can
80.000 people be wrong. For mine, I would not go even if the tickets were free.
Yes,I have a few years under my belt.That said ,I have many freinds in Sydney
who no longer go to the game.Nothing to do with price.Everything to do with a
combination of stadium size and style of rugby.Look ,all thats been endlessly
covered in thousands of posts.There would not be a week goes by without an
article on this site bemoaning the quality and style of rugby on offer at Test level.
In fact there are several ,’more of the same’ articles every week ,generating
thousands of posts from genuine rugby followers ,totally horrified with where
the game has ended up. We are talking in a vaccuum.We have a window seat,
meaning we can watch but not influence. And we are wrong. How can it be
otherwise.80.000 people turn up to watch a kickfest. (Waratahs are the same)
I wish I had a product or service I so loathed ,and was so dissapointed in that
could attract 80.000 paying customers to my failure.
Mushi said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:42am | Report comment
What your missing is such things normally operate on a lag so the 80k that turned up probably turned up due to their experiences over the last five to ten years.
The 80k number doesn’t tell us if in 2003 there were 400k people trying to get tickets and this year there were 90k. I can tell you that our acceptance rate for rugby related client functions has diminished over the last few years.
Also, and this is what people really miss, for a match like this 80k through the gate is no where near as important as how many people tune in on tv. One day the crowd number obsessed are going to realise that the real money isn’t in test match attendance numbers (which are always going to be high) they are in the ratings points.
But at the end of the day it is the game that is flawed not SA. SA deserve to be regarded as a great team.
Onside said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Mushi,spot on.
Dingbat said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
Don’t underestimate the quality of television coverage these days as a negative impact on ticket sales. Comfy sofa; braaied or barbequed meat; cold frosties on tap; no queue to take a pee; action replays; commentary etc, etc…
Willem said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
Very true Dingbat
Onside said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
And even if you duck out for a six pack, you dont miss much.
Andrew said | August 27th 2009 @ 7:58am | Report comment
What a joke PDV is, NZ/OZ copying SA tactics? Crap, NZ/OZ have always kicked and always will, the difference between our kicking game is that we use our kicking game to utilize our exciting running back play whereas the saffas kick and then use their forwards to play slow boring stifling play.
PDV’s a pure knobhead
Willem said | August 27th 2009 @ 10:22am | Report comment
Common mate NZ and OZ have always been well known to prefer ball in hand rugby, australia with good continuity and NZ with running rugby from practically everywhere on the field. This saturdays game was the first time i have ever seen NZ and OZ play the type of rugby they did. The amount of Box kicks and midfield boms some from free kicks was astonishing. On top of that they did not do it particularly well which indicates they are not playing their natural games.
Dingbat said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:00am | Report comment
Onside, bottom line is you develop a strategy based on the rules and the players at your disposal. For anyone to suggest that the Boks are winning in a way that does not honour the spirit or rugby or is not entertaining or threatens ticket sales sounds like whinging hogwosh of the worst Pom variety.
Onside said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Totally agree Dingbat.Life is about choices.For me the style of rugby
as practised by the top four nations in the world is not my choice.I
am not alone,even though in the absolute minority,(witness 80.000
people at the last Test),.But mate ,I struggle to watch that style on
TV.It doesn’t grab me even if the Wallabies win.However, good on
the Boks, they have a winnining formula, and a many elite players.
Whatever makes your boat float.
Tumekeheke said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:10am | Report comment
What a TOOL!!!!! he needs to hold the talking until the Tri Nations is over, you are supposed to win your home games, they did win but all 3 games were there for that taking in the last 10mins, but they got through. I think the SA team is a great team, maybe the best SA team, and I don’t care if people say they are boring I’m a kiwi and I don’t care how the ABS win, I just like them to win, but this guy is a complete idiot, SA has never been able to win consistently and I think the next 3 weeks will show that, in 28 games in the tri nations away from SA the springboks have won only 4 times?!?! 4 TIMES!?!?!?! 4 from 28 is not a good record PDV and I will be suprised if it changes much. I used to really like watching SA play but this guy has completely changed my mind, good coach pfffft!! he inherited a good team, I don’t reckon he could coach the local under 9′s, hes’ just a puppet.
fox said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:32am | Report comment
I blatantly skipped the entire article and came straight to the Have Your Say box. I don’t read comments from PdV. What a comedian. He’ll be here all week!