Once more Peter De Villiers has brought the game into disrepute. The clear inference from his comments during the week were that the All Black/Springbok game last weekend was fixed – a disgraceful allegation without foundation.
This follows on from his support for Botha’s headbutt and Burger’s eye gouge (tutus and bushveldt came into it as you may recall)
Brendan Cannon, correctly in my view, labelled De Villiers a clown. The Springbok camp now threatens that unless an apology is received, never again will they darken the Rugby Clubs’ door.
In light of that, Cannon is to apologise.
What drivel, I say! Where is the independence of the media? Regardless of whether Cannon is correct, shouldn’t he be able to pass legitimate comment? Isn’t Foxsports just kow-towing to the same bully boy tactics Botha is renown for?
The answers to those questions are:
(i) gone
(ii) at law yes, but in practice it would seem not
(iii) unfortunately, yes.
The South African threat should be ignored. Cannon has nothing to apologise for.
Unfortunately for all the decent down to earth South African folk, their coach is an inane conspiracy theorist. Their Rugby Union wrongly protects him, just as he wrongly protects the aberrant thugs in his team.
It’s about time the IRB punished De Villiers rather than the SARU menacing Cannon and his employer.
adam
Guest
This follows on from his support for Botha’s headbutt and Burger’s eye gouge (tutus and bushveldt came into it as you may recall didnt eddie jones support justin harrisons eye gouge on justin marshall by saying how do we know that eye gouge did the damage
Doug
Guest
When you point your finger at a clown, concentrate on the finger then you'll miss most of the incomprehensible gibberish out there.
Sammy22
Guest
Yes Kerry saw the same and couldn't believe the way he managed to deliver the question, great subtlety. Never been Cannon's biggest fan myself but gained huge respect for him last night in the after match interview considering what he has gone through over the last couple of months, not many of us would have been so 'gathered'
Derm
Roar Guru
I was only kidding about the refs, by the way. Was just clowning around.
Derm
Roar Guru
So he's a Shuppet, then. Much prefer that to muppet, which is becoming over-used. PdV needs a new term all of his own. He is unique after all.
Ingoa
Guest
Imagine the outcry had this been the coach from one of the other two SANZAR nations or even yet a coach from the 6 nations. PDV is a disgrace to muppets he's a shadow puppet
Hayden
Guest
Agreed. It couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of narcissistic, spoiled, egotistical Gauls.
Derm
Roar Guru
Well the Irish did do a lot of whinging about Henry and his handball last year and feeling generally hard done by. Though we got over it. Eventually. Admittedly, there was a certain amount of schadenfreude in the Irish air at their subsequent and entirely predictable performance in South Africa.
Hayden
Guest
Is this the same Bokkie who predicted 45 - 10? How much of your hard earned rand did you lose mate? As pointed out below, match fixing generally involves under performance. Coming from the nation that gave the world Hanse Cronje, maybe you are on to something.
Ingoa
Guest
You must feel pretty special after that result Bokke, Upi have written some rather silly threads over the last week or so but this one has to be in your top 3
Hayden
Guest
Ah Viscount, I'll rise to this one. The difference is that we Kiwis only whinged ( rightly so ) about a below par performance by an obviously out - of - his - depth pasty Pom. This is a little different from the ranting of Divvy and his hordes, who see trouncings on the rugby filed as a sign of global conspiracy against the humble, much maligned and misunderstood, not to mention unloved, Boer. While I agree with your observations on the French, Welsh and Irish, the English invented whinging, and indeed make it a national pastime. And who could blame them, having to live in a place surrounded by so many other Englishmen, and the weather. I'd be complaining too.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
To be fair, this type of irrational whinging isn't just a South African thing - it's very much a Southern Hemisphere thing. We all remember the Kiwis and Wayne Barnes. And we also remember bizarre Australian claims about the Oval's supposedly doctored pitch last summer. Sports whinging is basically the product of a parochial, insular culture. This is why Antipodeans are regrettably prone to it, and why Englishmen, Frenchmen, Welshmen and Irishmen tend to refrain from it. The latter quartet, though by no means perfect, hail from sophisticated cultures composed of various national groups and points of view. Antipodeans, on the other hand, hail from rather cruder and considerably more introverted cultures. And it shows.
Hayden
Guest
Good for them. Divvy needs to come up with a proper apology. It is obvious the one he released was written by someone else, and he was told to read it and "shut up fercrissakes" by someone in SARU. To come out and say that he didn't mean to infer etc etc when that was exactly and unequivocally what he did do is ridiculous.
Hayden
Guest
Good point mate.
Derm
Roar Guru
"Northern Kids" - Lol you're a scream, katzilla. That is just so funny. I nearly spilt my beer when I read it. Actually, thought PdV was picking on the NH refs. Wonder if he'll be quieter after today's match or will Clancy be another part of the great conspiracy?
Derm
Roar Guru
The four Irish refs on the IRB panel have come out and said they will not ref any more SA matches until PdV apologises in public for the slur he cast on their officiating and implying they were in some way bought off or working to an IRB internal diktat.
Kerry Kiwi
Guest
RE: Jackson Sat, 24 Jul, 05:52PM people should have more respect for the head coach of a national side, I think People should have more respect for the head case of a national side, I think. It's hard being a clown when you are a head case.
Kerry Kiwi
Guest
Gotta love Canno. Before the game he is forced to apologise to the ring masters assistant. After the game he gets to ask The Clown if he is the man to take SA to the RWC in 2011. Was just waiting for: "or are you just clowning around?".
ME
Guest
Why should we respect a Clown?
Dan
Guest
Yeah, I just don't know mate... If PdV was coaching my team I'd be pretty embarrassed. Yeah he won a Tri Nations, but he followed that with the least successful European tour by a SH power in the modern era and has now his team trounced by the All Blacks 2 weeks running. The boks could still come good, they have too many great players not to, but I honestly don't think it'll be a reflection of PdV's coaching ability. In some ways it reminds me of when Chris Anderson was coaching the Kangaroos in Rugby League. Now, you would be hard pressed to find a man more lacking in coaching ability, but that team had so many brilliant players (though they generally always do) that it really didn't matter what a useless piece of @#$& Anderson was, because the raw talent there was experienced and clever enough to ensure they didn't suffer any losses during his tenure.