Wallabies copy Boks tactics, says de Villiers
By Jim Morton, 27 Aug 2009
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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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August 27th 2009 @ 9:01am
mactheblack said | August 27th 2009 @ 9:01am | Report comment
if you guys down under were winning you wouldn’t be complaining, problem is the players have to make an at times too technical game look easy. I wonder if those irb officials and whoever, referees etc. who are getting paid huge sums just to tweak aspects of the game, have played rugby themselves. if the game is being killed don’t blame the players. former wallaby fullback roger matlock, and I hope I have his name right, went back to rugby league, reported to have said that the game was too complicated. what a great player, and what a loss to union. there must be some truth to that statement, because very few union players had his ball sense, skill, and natural flair built around his league experience no doubt. we should worry when players of the calibre of matlock makes these kind of utterances. enough proof that rugby league is more exciting to watch than what lovers of union have to be put up with. a failed case of reinventing the wheel and making a hash of it. but still we’ll remain faithful. there’s enough pride in the bok,the wallaby and the fern to stir up national pride even though some officials are letting down fans, the players and the game of rugby union.
August 27th 2009 @ 9:29am
mactheblack said | August 27th 2009 @ 9:29am | Report comment
i’m a saffer but a huge all blacks fanatic for many many years. I think some of you guys though should play the ball and not the man on this forum. some of you actually know little about pdv. he has coached the u21s and u19s boks to world cup success. he would not be there if he wasn’t good enough. he’s had to endure harsh words from giuys like olo brown that was uncalled for. he made olo eat his words though few seasons ago. most of these players pdv has coached in the u19s and u21s and that’s why he’s had some success with them now. how arrogant to say he inherited a good team; that’s a total disregard for the man’s ability. english may not be his first language, but he sure knows how to interpret the laws and make them work. he was a more than decent scrumhalf in his day, but unfortunately like many of his countrymen due to south africa’s harrsh system of disenfranchisement pdv couldn’t prove his worth on a higher stage, that is until now as a coach worthy of his salt. maybe it’s henry’s comments we should be examining on the kicking game he despises. maybe the guys at the academies should tell him that the kids are still being taught the all black way. it’s time henry comes out of his lapse and reacquaints himself with the all black way. there’ll be much more success if he does.
August 27th 2009 @ 11:30am
Tumekeheke said | August 27th 2009 @ 11:30am | Report comment
OK mate I wasn’t aware of his previous coaching resume, my apologies I try to be more informed before I make statements like that, but really….. come on, even if english is his 2nd language what he is saying is still ridiculous! and as Andrew says below, SA have only been the IRB no1 ranked team for a few weeks, yet he is carrying on like it’s been a lifetime, he needs to keep his mouth shut and let his team do the talking (which they are) but him carrying on like blithering idiot everytime he opens his mouth takes the gloss and shine off his team.
August 27th 2009 @ 12:03pm
Sam Taulelei said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
Mactheblack
It was actually Craid Dowd who made the inflammatory comments against PDV and not Olo Brown. Olo never made any public comments during his career and has not been in the press since his retirement.
August 27th 2009 @ 12:31pm
Onside said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:31pm | Report comment
mactheblack
thanks fot the PdV overview.Contributions like yours help make this site a good one.
Re us Aussies not complaining if winning.I am not so sure about that.Many supporters
atre disillusioned with how the game has developed in recent years .Rugby Tests are
noewhere near as compelling as is it once was.
August 27th 2009 @ 12:41pm
Dingbat said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
Inside story is that PdV is successful because he knows his limitations. He wanted to play total rugby. He failed. He listened to the senior players. The Boks now play to their strengths and are the best in the world. Sometimes knowing your strengths and weaknesses is half the battle. It’s a credit to PdV that he had the humility to change tack. He’s also wonderfully entertaining. Omoland Aus – probably more racist than South Africa – just don’t like someone who isn’t white running a team that makes their blue-eyed arian boys look like 2nd rate plonkers.
August 27th 2009 @ 10:44am
Andrew said | August 27th 2009 @ 10:44am | Report comment
Fair call mactheblack regarding play the ball not the man (PDV), it’s a pity PDV didn’t listen to your pearls of wisdom, ie the wallaby front row are cheats, McCaws a cheat and the list goes on. Has Henry or Deans publically called players cheats? Thats not a retorical question. I just don’t think they would have. Henry and Deans seem more proffessional than that.
Sounds a tad arrogant to me that because SA are now IRB no1 only since early August they’re carrying on as if they’d been there for donkeys years. PDV isn’t known for his humility afterall, and if PDV comes out and spews his stupid comments then he reaps what he sews. Deans and Henry for humility compared to PDV almost look like saints lol
August 27th 2009 @ 11:55am
Sam Taulelei said | August 27th 2009 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Historically NZ and Australia has always differed fundamentally in their approach to the game compared to SA. In a way their styles mirrored their history, mix of cultures, climate and physical environment.
I don’t have a problem with how SA want to play the game. I think NZ and Australia are mugs in trying to imitate it in an effort to combat it and maybe if Graham Henry focused less on proposing changes to the laws and concentrated more on coming up with an effective counter for the All Blacks we’d see a better game of rugby between the two. At the moment all power to the Boks, they’re better than us at the moment and we have to beat their challenge.
August 27th 2009 @ 1:25pm
Even looser said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
Spot on Sam.
The sooner we work out how to beat the Boks at what they do well the sooner they will need to move to plan B. My concern is that the further we progress down this road of copying them the further it is taking us from our strengths. Besides imitation is rarely as good as the original.
I’m desperately hoping that Robbie will reveal a plan for the Wallabies that plays to our strengths of ball in hand. Banning absolute dumb return kicks would be a fine start.
August 27th 2009 @ 1:59pm
Who Needs Melon said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:59pm | Report comment
Yep. Darn tootin.
August 27th 2009 @ 12:03pm
Hayden said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
Tis a shame this Wallaby side isn’t going to be good enough to serve up some humble pie to the PdV. I think he is building up for another of his ‘Jesus’ moments.
August 27th 2009 @ 12:28pm
Temba said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
Good point Sam, I think Deans has a plan up his sleeve but I don’t know if the players are good enough. Maybe he will show the AB and Graham Henry how to do it.
The Boks have always played a so called “borning game” and more often that not the All Blacks and to a degree the Wallabies have been able to turn them around.
Now all of a sudden it’s a big issue, because they can’t win. This = Whinge
I am getting sick of the whinging about the “boring” rugby… If Aus and NZ play to their strength and “entertaining” rugby whilst doing it accurately and with gusto they will break this Bok game plan.
August 27th 2009 @ 12:41pm
ohtani's jacket said | August 27th 2009 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
The Boks haven’t always played a boring game. They’ve had some great attacking sides in the past. What Boks fans refuse to admit is that their side is actually as average as New Zealand and Australia right now.
August 27th 2009 @ 1:25pm
fox said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
Ok. Name 10 great attacking south african sides.
August 27th 2009 @ 1:38pm
ohtani's jacket said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:38pm | Report comment
In no particular order
1. 1986 Springboks
2. 1998 Springboks
3. 1984 Springboks
4. 1996 Springboks
5. 1951/52 Springboks
6. 2005 Springboks
7. 1912/13 Springboks
8. 1937 Springboks
9. 1970 Springboks
10. 1980 Springboks
August 27th 2009 @ 2:30pm
Ziggy said | August 27th 2009 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
1955 Boks. That series vs Lions was unbelievable for the quality of runnung rugby played.
August 28th 2009 @ 4:34am
Bonza said | August 28th 2009 @ 4:34am | Report comment
If the plan is up his sleeve then maybe the players dont know about it. If the plan involves not playing to your strengths then of course the players will probably come up short. I agree on playing to your strengths – Who is responsible for making this happen??????
August 27th 2009 @ 1:43pm
Sam Taulelei said | August 27th 2009 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
I’d add the 2004 Springboks as well
August 27th 2009 @ 3:53pm
mactheblack said | August 27th 2009 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
hi guys time difference between us and you bit problematic, only picked up on responses after some shiut eye. first of all my humble apologies to olo brown for metioning it was he who layed into pdv few years ago. it was of corse craig dowd. apologies to all concerned. I concur pdv should rein in his blabbering style, but he doesn’t have to follow henry, deans’ approach. those okes are too dour. by the way are our memories so short. coach jones knew how to unsettle the opposition with psychology before a game.
August 27th 2009 @ 4:06pm
Jerry G said | August 27th 2009 @ 4:06pm | Report comment
Dunno about that, Mac. Jones engaged in a fair bit of pre-match banter and sniping, but I’m not sure it did him much good. I got the feeling his ‘mind-games’ were often somewhat counter-productive. I get the same feeling with PDV to be honest – I reckon more often than not this sort of thing just fires the opposition up more than it unsettles them.
August 28th 2009 @ 1:32am
Knives Out said | August 28th 2009 @ 1:32am | Report comment
I wouldn’t, they stunk on their 2004 European tour. Absolutely stunk.
August 27th 2009 @ 3:51pm
Onside said | August 27th 2009 @ 3:51pm | Report comment
Back in the 70′s I used to import pianos from South Africa
All the White notes were at one end, and……………..
August 27th 2009 @ 8:27pm
Dingbat said | August 27th 2009 @ 8:27pm | Report comment
luckily that’s all changed. do you even get black notes on an aussie piano, or have they all been punted to the reservation?
August 27th 2009 @ 9:21pm
mactheblack said | August 27th 2009 @ 9:21pm | Report comment
ha ha onside’s comment had me offsides for a minute … but i’m crackng up with laughter being a saffer meself. the bad ole days, if ever there were … so guys like pdv habanas etc. are proving that us okes on the other side of the pianos that you ordered onside, can play from the same scoresheet and are good enough. I am not going to go into politics this is a sporting forum; we keep it that way. psychology is part of sport. ask guys like your own ricky ponting, steve waugh, warne. again I agree pdv blabbers too much, it may come back to haunt him; but comments like knobhead, idiot shows that he knows how to get into the hair of the giuys down under. maybe he needs a pr.
August 28th 2009 @ 12:20am
Dingbat said | August 28th 2009 @ 12:20am | Report comment
The wonderful thing about all of the Aus and AB’s demeaning comments about PdV being useless,
incoherent etc…etc… is that if he is so useless, then how useless must the Aussies and AB’s be
to lose against a team he coaches…?
August 28th 2009 @ 1:34am
Knives Out said | August 28th 2009 @ 1:34am | Report comment
Not much unless you are of the opinion that PdV does a lot of coaching and is responsible for the Springboks.
August 28th 2009 @ 2:29am
mactheblack said | August 28th 2009 @ 2:29am | Report comment
Heh heh .. knives out you are naiive and your last statement about pdv doesn’t deserve a response, one can see where it’s heading. I think it rankles you guys Down Under that PDV and his team sits (at the moment anyway) at the top of 3N summit. Much better than where Henry and Deans currently find themselves, hey. I’m an All Black fan by the way. Maybe the Saffers can invite you to one of the coaching sessions this way, or wait, you could actually attend one Down Under, where the Boks are at present, Perth I take it .. and see for yourself whether PDV is his own man or not when the Boks are out training. You may be in for a HUGE surprise, mate. He may even show you guys how to kick and turn it into possession.
August 28th 2009 @ 7:10am
Nick (KIA) said | August 28th 2009 @ 7:10am | Report comment
I’ve never heard any comments about PDV, demeaning or otherwise, from the Aus or ABs.
Do you mean from their fans/the media?
August 28th 2009 @ 3:31am
Knives Out said | August 28th 2009 @ 3:31am | Report comment
Right, mactheblack, let’s go through a few things:
1. I am not naive and your inability to actually confirm why I could be perceived as thus merely contradicts your childish suggestion.
2. I’m not a guy from down under.
3. Public coaching sessions are completely irrelevant to your ‘point’, and unless you have 24 hour access to the Springboks then I am guessing that you have absolutely no idea as to PdV’s role and influence with the Springbok team. You could quite rightly say the same back to me, but that his name is followed by none of these words: backs, forwards, defence, coach, means that I am entitled to suggest that he has no specific area of expertise. Jake White openly stated that he was defence coach, for example. Obviously, as you are so clearly informed, you could enlighten me as to what PdV coaches and how that has helped to improve the position of South African rugby.
August 28th 2009 @ 4:25am
mactheblack said | August 28th 2009 @ 4:25am | Report comment
Okay my apologies for ASSUMING you’re from Down Under Knives Out … so what is exactly your point? Maybe I am misunderstanding you then. Does any international coach for that matter, not have a plethora of assistants at his beck and call in world rugby today … kicking experts, forwards experts, backs coaches, scrum coaches, vision coaches, sports psychologists …the whole lot. As I understand, any coach takes the advice of all his assistants and makes the final decisions from there. Pieter DV is an expert in forwards, defence and attack and everything else his players require to be prepared for match day. Do you have an opinion on what PDV’s function is, seemingly you have the inside track. White by the way, as I recall, was a rugby video analyst in his early days as he climbed up the ladder … before really making his mark coaching the junior Boks. He never really played the game, but that proves that’s not a big necessity. We are certainly not overlooking the fact that White turned the Boks fortunes around with astuteness and a fantastic rugby brain. After the embarrassing Kamp Staaldraad under Rudolf Straeuli. But things have moved on, White quit at the top and he is certainly trying to give back where he can. PDV actually coached many of these senior guys in the winning junior Bok teams as well. PDV coaches the Boks, fait accompli, my man .. whether we proceed with the debate or not. That’s the job title he is being paid for anyway.
August 28th 2009 @ 6:51am
Knives Out said | August 28th 2009 @ 6:51am | Report comment
My point is that it isn’t particularly rational to suggest that PdV has done a fantastic job, or similarly that he is a better ‘coach’ than either Deans or Henry simply because SA has reverted to their traditional style of play. Nobody knows for sure what is going on in any test camp, but there has been no rumours that any of the top test teams are player driven other than… SA.
August 28th 2009 @ 7:25am
mactheblack said | August 28th 2009 @ 7:25am | Report comment
I still struggle to fully grasp your point. my opinion … pdv is certainly not better than henry or deans, there’s too much experience there; but that doesn’t necessarily make him a bad coach. pdv has without doubt inherited a good team, but he’s still got to get the results under his tenure. white had gert smal and allister coetzee, and pdv’s got dick muir, gary gold to help. pdv is not a great coach, we’ll be daft to think he is after a season and a bit; there’s a helluva long way to go yet. but let me tell you this guy is a very cagey tactician when it comes to the game of rugby, don’ t be fooled.
August 28th 2009 @ 7:49am
Tumekeheke said | August 28th 2009 @ 7:49am | Report comment
Mac, what Knives out is saying is what I had heard about PDV, that the Springboks are player driven and he is just a figurehead (and potentially a scapegoat) and this is what I meant about him being a puppet in my previous rant, this has nothing to do with politics etc, but does seem feasible considering he wanted the boks to become a running rugby team and now all of a sudden they are paying the 10 man game, player pressure maybe??? considering all the veterans are forwards…. and whats up with John Smit?? is he like your fourth best ranked Prop????
August 28th 2009 @ 8:00am
Knives Out said | August 28th 2009 @ 8:00am | Report comment
That’s what I mean, Tumekeheke. On a personal level I think PdV is an odious, ego-driven spiteful man, but that’s irrelevant to this discussion. On a rugby level he has no serious pedigree and all you have heard from the players is “He relaxes us” which can be read in any number of ways. He may well be behind SA’s recent wins, and if it’s fair to blame him for the disastrous 3N last year then it is fair to congratulate him now, however I don’t think that it is the right time to be suggesting he is some form of genius who has thus far been misunderstood.
August 28th 2009 @ 9:15am
Dingbat said | August 28th 2009 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Guys, guys settle down. What makes a good coach at international level? These guys are pros, how much can they really be coached? Man management is key. PdV knows he has a team with massive experience and at least 3 good leaders in every run on 15. He has great technical back-up in his assistant coach. Sometimes all a great coach does is put the framework in place and then manage the framework to ensure success. A great coach is someone who takes an average team, works with limited resources, and makes the team great. PdV inherited a great team. The jury is out as to whether he is a great coach, or just in the right place at the right time. The players love him for two key reasons: (i) he is very open and honest with each player about his role/future; and (ii) he treats the players like the professionals they are and lets them get on with it.