Disgraceful De Villiers
29 Jun 2009
In a surreal press conference, Peter de Villiers continued to deny Schalk Burger was guilty of eye gouging and delivered some of his most sensational rubbish ever.
De Villiers on Monday held court with a room full of journalists, the majority of those from the foreign press, and proceeded to spit the most ridiculous nonsense, and display an incredibly pompous and dismissive attitude, particularly towards the foreign contingent. For those present it was obvious that he has a very low opinion of them.
The questioning predictably centred around Burger’s eight-week ban for eye gouging Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald, an issue that the Springbok media team tried to dodge by saying that they would only comment after they had received an official report on the incident. You didn’t need an official report to know that Burger is unbelievably lucky not to receive a longer ban.
On Saturday De Villiers left the press incredulous by saying that Burger didn’t deserve a yellow card for the incident, let alone a citing. On Monday the coach had an opportunity to retract that ludicrous statement and concede that he was wrong. Yet he remained resolute in his flawed view.
‘I stand by Schalk, I’m still convinced he didn’t do it,’ he told keo.co.za. ‘When you watch the footage closely and if you know the nature of Schalk, you’ll know that he will never go to those measures to impose himself. Schalk certainly didn’t do anything on purpose. He watched the TV footage and was taken aback himself.
‘I am against anything that is against the spirit of the game. If we want to eye gouge lions, we’ll go down to the bushveld and eye gouge them there, then see if they can haul us in.’
When one of the travelling pressmen continued the line of questioning, De Villiers snapped, ‘Some of us seem to have a hearing problem. We’re waiting for the official report and we’ll see what that says. If they find him guilty of something we’ll abide by that decision.
‘I’m not ducking the issue, I’m working within a system. I’m not like you [the media] who don’t work within a system.’
De Villiers said he doesn’t condone foul play [the likes of which Burger was clearly guilty of], yet continued to inadvertently justify the incident.
‘Rugby is a contact sport and so is dancing,’ he said. ‘If you guys [the media] were clued up you’d know that there were so many incidents that we could have complained about, like the incident where a Lions player maliciously jumped into one of ours with their shoulder.
‘But we didn’t do it because this is a contact sport. If you are going to complain about every incident we might as well go to a ballet shop and all get tutus.’
Despite the series victory, there is a widely held view that the Springboks beat the Lions despite of their coach and not because of him. De Villiers’ rebuttal, ‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don’t react to opinion, I react to fact,’ he said.
‘If I’m the weakest link then we are bloody strong. I’m a God-given talent. I am the best I can be. I know what I am and I don’t give a damn.’
He continued by saying he didn’t read the papers, and therefore didn’t know how he was perceived in the media.
‘I don’t care. I don’t take an interest in your job, but I’m glad you take an interest in mine.’
Any preceding Springbok coach would have been seriously taken to task by the administration, but De Villiers gives one the impression, through his attitude and unbridled hogwash that he delivered on Monday, that he believes he is a law unto himself.
The reality is that he was an embarrassment to South African rugby, as he was when he offered his racially loaded views relating to Ricky Januarie, for which he will have to answer to the president’s council.
The same president’s council who appointed him based on his skin colour and not his rugby credentials (they confirmed this themselves when announcing his appointment), are now pointing the finger at him when they should be held partly accountable for the perception he is creating of himself, and by association, the Springboks, and South Africans in general.
De Villiers considers himself to be an ambassador for South Africa. He has said so on numerous occasions. But he is doing anything but creating a favourable impression of this country.
He needs to be reined in immediately. Word from inside the Springbok camp is that he just refuses to listen to any advice offered by his media managers, and as a result he is destroying any credibility he might have left.
Today he was a disgrace and he’s single-handedly detracted from the wonderful achievement of winning a Lions series. Hopefully it’s the last time we’ll have to endure a senseless rant like this from De Villiers. Don’t hold your breath though.
By Ryan Vrede, Johannesburg
859 Comments
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30 Jun 2009, 01:28 am
#746 skopskiet: Skop, it’s useless to discuss the RWC with you but, as the All Blacks show many times, winning it is really hard no matter who you face.
30 Jun 2009, 01:28 am
For all PDV’s weaknesses (and there are plenty) he is steadfast and resolute about loyalty to his players. He will not back down and whcilst this may be driven by stupidity and ignoarance you have to hand it to him. He sat in front of the media and all they spoke about and questioned him on was Burger. No mention is made of the Series win, 160 mins of great rugby. One incident and the win is forgoetten. Having said all that and having some sympathy with the poor bloke for a number of reasons. He is in this job not becuase he is the best coach in SA – he is therefore out of his depth and probably doesn’t even realise it! He has been put in a very difficuly position and his employers are in many way to blame. Unfortunately there has been nothing to mitigate this like for example letting Muir or Gold give a few interviews. The reality is if anyone has the ballls at SARFU they will let him go quitely and congratulate him on a fine stint as coach.
30 Jun 2009, 01:31 am
#749 Pietman:
Yay somebody sees some light around here, PdV is die regte outjie, julle sal almal dit erken voorlangs, baie kortliks, watch net en herinder, hy’s die man vir die saak die klein bruin donder, hy’s meer gewikkel en gesond in sy kop as almal die heilige witte watch net, ek se jou, hy gaan julle almal laat trots voel, netnou.
30 Jun 2009, 01:31 am
En SNOTSKIET het sy pakslae van my vanaand gekry…..die klongetjie hahaha.Bobbejaan klim die berg SNOTIE…..
30 Jun 2009, 01:32 am
#749 Pietman: I totally agree and I have not been PdV’s fan but I am fast becoming one..and the players will totally love him for this, even the most old fashioned Boerish ones… if they love him, somewhat crazy though he is, they will walk on water for him and I hope they do
30 Jun 2009, 01:34 am
#753 wpforever: In jou drome diefie, jy het nie eens n clue nie, nie n heilige dom donnerse clue in hell.
30 Jun 2009, 01:35 am
Anyway I hotelled with Lions fans and they all said the test was lost by O Gara and what a right twat he was. None of the ones I spent time with blamed the Boks.
30 Jun 2009, 01:35 am
#741 Bospomp:
True.
Just check what the British media to Jake White, eg that misquote before the Irish test (that he would only had picked one Irish player for his Springbok side), stuff like that.
No, PdeV must not back down, he must lay it onto them big time.
Because once they are back in the UK they are going to slag him big time and their press and he would not have the opportunity to respond fairly.
So now is the time to ‘talk’ to them directly.
Fck them, I say.
30 Jun 2009, 01:36 am
Ok, so according to comments here and attacks from the British media South Africans are:
-Racists
-Dirty Bullies
-Disgracefull Coloniallists
-Bad Linguests
bla bla
So this is what the brits are from analysing their history:
- Scorchers, rapists and child killers
- Colonialists and race aniahalators (like on Tasmania)
- Bad loosers
- Vendictive and Kniving back stabers that cannot be trusted
- Media puppets
- Losers on the rugby fields
- Drunkards
- Invaders and Thieves abusing other nation’s resources (like OIL and Gold empire)
- Whiners and Moaners which is still evident in all British colonies
- Consentration Camp Pioneers
- Biologic weapon pioneers (remmeber smallpocks in the states??)
- Dirty character projectors
Yet they think they are the most gracefull nation on earth by their comments and attitude towards other nations. Can go on with this list the whole day.
Why don’t Saffa’s media except KEO focus on there dirty tactics, does all above matter right now, No, all that matters is 2-0 for the BOKS, DIV is right, screw the British media, He stand by his men and I like That!!
30 Jun 2009, 01:36 am
So good night and good luck to the Boks, I hope we run rings around them and at last the Britpress will shut up
30 Jun 2009, 01:38 am
#752 skopskiet:
Wie is ‘julle’ ou pel?
Praat jy van my?
Waar was jy in Februarie 2008 met Pdev se verkiesing, het jy gesien wat ek toe gese het op hierdie blog?
So nie, gaan check die argiewe.
Maar moenie met jou ‘julle’ kak by my kom nie.
30 Jun 2009, 01:39 am
#758 Bospomp:
Now, they probably wanted Pdev to hug them, like the Pom players do during media interviews.
30 Jun 2009, 01:40 am
#758 Bospomp: Hey Keo has not done much better today than the Britpress.. They are journos. The average Brit rugby fan knows the score and the truth. I bet you the Boks will have been fired up by PdV’s resolute defence of them as players.
30 Jun 2009, 01:40 am
#759 peterg123:
Cheers Pete glad to hear you had a good time at Loftus.
Pity you didn’t join Carol and the boys at the braai before the match!
30 Jun 2009, 01:41 am
I have now read most of the responses and I am startign like PDV for all the wrong reasons! Why is that? He may be playing the media more than they think and the focus is now off Burger. I reckon the players respect for him will double. Strange world this is
30 Jun 2009, 01:45 am
SNOTSKIET…..”du er en stør baviaan”…..thats in Norwegian for you china,and with that riddle i will leave you…..now run along now and mummy will make you a nice cup of MILO
Jou Doos…..ps thats S African
Pietman have a nice evening,we chat soon
Cheers
30 Jun 2009, 01:47 am
#765 wpforever:
Maak so WP-man.
Take it easy ‘little big’ brother!
30 Jun 2009, 01:48 am
#759 peterg123: so long
#760 Pietman:
Ja ek weet van jou soort aanhoudent support, ek ken dit al klaar goed, ek weet ook dat jy diep in jou gedagtes wel belowe in die ou klong van die Perel, maar dis swaar vir ‘julle’ aanhoudend vas te staan, alhoewel hy staan eerlik vas saam ‘sy’ manne, soos hy staan vas saam met Schalk, en wieookal nog, hy’s nie n draaibek soos daai ander slang Jake die heilige Snake nie, glad nie, die outjie is die ware siel van Suid Afrikaanse rugby, heeltemaal meer trots in sy liefde vir die sport en sy manne as enige van daai wittetjies soos Jake hulle ens.
Hy gaan wys al die keolings hierso, wie is die egte man van die saak, wies die baas van die springbok plaas, ja, ‘julle’ sal almal nog die waarheid mooi erken, netnou.
30 Jun 2009, 01:48 am
i now officially accept and respect PDV as the Bokke coach screw what everyone else thinks , this guy may actually know what the hell he’s doing !
30 Jun 2009, 01:50 am
#764 kesbok:
Ja another one slowly starting to see the light, before very long you all going to be eating out his hands and mark my words, you going to wonder wtf you actually saw in that charlatan fraud Jake the Fake.
30 Jun 2009, 01:52 am
#767 skopskiet:
Jy praat nonsens man.
Jy weet niks vam my ‘support’ nie, behalwe dat ek nie meer die WP ondersdteun nie.
En dis so ver jou kennis van my strek.
Jy is net lus vir kuk soek en ek is nie lus vir dit nie, so kry jou ry en los my maar uit by jou beledigings.
In jou eie belang.
30 Jun 2009, 01:53 am
#768 mbaxman93:
And another, YES it is slowly starting to get contagious around here, before too long they all going to be shouting from the rooftops ‘PDV IS THE MAN’
watch even sour face Tight Head and his sharkie shoe shine boys going to be seeing the REAL value in this little Gem van die Perel, its just around the corner before they ALL SEE the LIGHT.
30 Jun 2009, 01:53 am
#764 kesbok:
Skoppie is looking for an argument, just ignore him.
30 Jun 2009, 01:56 am
#768 mbaxman93:
Oh, and before I go, I also admire PdeV for kicking ‘Lukas Pienaar Kotze’ off his team and for showing Cheeky the middle finger!
30 Jun 2009, 01:58 am
#770 Pietman:
wie se belang is dit, dis nie in my belang ou seun, dis in jou belang, jy’s op die regte pad hier, netnou sal jy a ware trotse PDV ondersteuner wees, teen die Blou Bulletjie se heilige kreun van hul ossewaens wat huil vir die Messias Heyneke om hulle uit die vlakte van Snorretjies se middelmatigheid te laat red.
30 Jun 2009, 02:13 am
SARU has humiliated Snorre by publicly apologising for the eye-gouging incident and distancing themselves from their coach and then by forcing him to recant in public from his ludicrous claim that there was nothing wrong with it.
PDV is so ridiculously out of his depth. SARU ought to put a gag order on this dumb clown as he does his whole country irreparable damage every time he yaps his trap.
30 Jun 2009, 02:19 am
And before Skoppie has another ‘keo ******’, I should place on record that I support PdeV for taking a stand during his interview with the BBC; but as in the case of Jake White I reserve the right to critisise him unreservedly when he stuffs up (like in Durban).
Ek is nie n ‘PdeV-aanbidder’ onder alle omstandighede, soos ou Skopskiet nie.
As PdeV kuk aanjaag, sal hy beslis van my ****!
30 Jun 2009, 02:22 am
#775 TheTackler:
Really I don’t give two hooted f’cks about what you and the rest of Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch or Rugby Heaven think about your schoolmaster Mr. Graham Henry, so what the hell in tarnation are you all so stuffed up in your frilly little eiderdown concerned about PdV for, he’s absolutely bugger all concern of yours. None whatsoever.
You must have some vested interest in the goings on around our national coach, as if you still got something to lose or gain by his acceptance or ridicule, in fact its no concern of yours one way or the other, you just a dumb f’ck yarpie thats found himself another dumb f’ck colonialist exiled haven to ring your deluded adopted ox wagons around your dumb f’ck yarpie neck.
30 Jun 2009, 02:23 am
does anyone want to hear what Schalk has to say – or have we hanged him already??
30 Jun 2009, 02:28 am
#775 TheTackler:
Saru/Hoskins did that, apologise?
To whom?
Bloody stupid, if you asked me.
What have Saru politicians gotta do with incidents on our rugby fields in SA?
They should keep their nose out of it.
30 Jun 2009, 02:28 am
Ja ek sal hom ook aanvat as hy kak beslissings maak soos hy met Schalk om op te sit voor Brussow op flank, en soos hulle nou maak om daai dom drol Johan Muller op slot te sit, maar die ondernemende saak is hy doen wat hy doen vir die welsheins (sp) van die span, en dis eintlik wat saak maak, en so ver het hulle ver meer gewen as verloor met sulke gedagtes agter die rug.
30 Jun 2009, 02:29 am
#778 Luke….I’m your father:
I would like to hear Schalla’s ‘story’.
But he doesn’t normally doesn’t do press interviews like Luke Watson.
And rightly so, imo.
30 Jun 2009, 02:35 am
PDV has now back tracked on what he said, this guy should work at the circus as head clown.
30 Jun 2009, 02:37 am
More All,
As an outsider it appears Schalk made an error in judgement but clearly not premeditatd – unlike his coach.
SARU did not embarass the coach – he did that all by himself.
30 Jun 2009, 02:37 am
Kirstie won the ’95 world cup for us, 99, well really close but well done. Jake the man and not snake as all may sing won the last world cup for us. PdV still have to win a world cup, if he stand by his men and stop racial comments, he can do it, the players will if he stand by them. Nothing else to be slured about this, anyone slurring is jealous. PdV can do it, have lots to learn but so did all the previous coaches!!
30 Jun 2009, 03:20 am
One more comment. The aim of the british media was to use the Burger incident to sidetrack the springboks as they always do to cover the Lions loosing the match. Div simply played it down as nothing and rightfully so, because who cares about media rubbish. Fact is, they played with 14 men the first 10 minutes of the game and still won. Div simply threw a bucket of water on them and started a new fire focussed on him, KEO also fell for this, helping his players and motivating them to hit back harder the coming weekend. Starting to like him a bit more!! Luckily we have Danie, Muller, Brossouw, Deysel available that will do the job just as good. ANy one of the upcoming springbok locks together with Matfield can also do the job!! So by sighting Burger and Bakkies, they’ve actually been doing us a favour!! Bakkies will be back fresh for the last 3 try nations matches when it matters.
30 Jun 2009, 03:32 am
“Sighting” Burger? Clapping gouged eyeballs on him?
That’s what “sighting” means — seeing.
You mean “citing” — issuing him with a citation/reporting him.
30 Jun 2009, 03:35 am
#779 Pietman: Yes, Hoskins has made a pretty grovelling public apology for Burger’s misbehaviour and, what’s more, he’s made Snorre do so as well. Eat a whole big bowl of crow in front of the gleeful British news media.
30 Jun 2009, 03:40 am
Hoskins and De Villiers jointly condemned all acts of foul play and sent out a clear message that such acts would not be tolerated in South African rugby.
“We would like to apologise to the rugby community for the erroneous impression that acts of foul play are in any way condoned by South African rugby,” said Hoskins.
“That has never been the case and is not now, and we support strong action by rugby authorities when such acts occur. Rugby is a physical game and a hard game but it is a game that rightly prides itself on good sportsmanship and we as SARU categorically condemn any such action. SARU fully supports any action that the IRB feels appropriate to stamp out eye gouging in the game.”
De Villiers added that as Springbok coach he stood against play that was not in the spirit of the game. “Eye-gouging is something that we as a team will never be part of,” he said.
“The same applies to biting, head-butting, spear tackling or any other foul play that doesn’t belong in the game.”
“My comments on Saturday were based on what I know of Schalk Burger as a player and not on what occurred. It was never my intention to suggest that I condone foul play – that is the last thing I would ever do and I apologise for creating any other impression.”
30 Jun 2009, 03:40 am
THE TACKLER,
Nya mouw yegalo pickenin willy!!
30 Jun 2009, 03:41 am
THETACKLER, Nya Mouw yegolo pickenin lollie!!
30 Jun 2009, 03:43 am
#787 TheTackler:
Faaark me McGyver, this Hoskins is an ******* of note……
PdeV should let Bakkies and Schalla loose on him also, to shut him up.
Why does the president of Saru apologise for ‘on the field incidents’ during a test match?
Only in South Africa, I tell you.
Saru, bunch of clowns, can’t do ANYTHING right, can they?
30 Jun 2009, 03:46 am
Who cares, ALL that matters:
SOUTH AFRICA 2, LIONS 0, BOOOOOWHAAAAWHAAAAAhaaaaaa!!!
By the way, in NZ it not citing, is si’i'n, in AUS not citing, but CAIyeTI’inGGGG, BHOOOOWHAAAHAAAAHHAAA!!!!!!!
30 Jun 2009, 03:59 am
PDiv is an idiot and even SARU have now apologised and distanced themselves from his comments. Wonder how long he’ll last now since firstly his racist comments that white South Africans don’t support Januarie because he is black, and now defending a thug even after the video evidence?
I see Skopskiet is still defending Div though. Idiot
30 Jun 2009, 04:27 am
Nice thing about South Africa and what I normally see there, coach should not be judged by what his loving relationship with the media is, he should be judged by his team selection and the performance of that team on the field. That is what most South Africans do. Not like the poms, kiwis and AUS that flourish and run rugby with media and money, maybe why rugby is still big in South Africa. If Schalla decide he wants to tell the world it is his 50th match by taking out some-ones eye, pitty the team had to pay for it, but it is Schalla’s desition and he needs to repremand that desition, nothing the manager can do about it. By the way, Lions can be glad they did not have to play a miner team like Vaal reefs, their media would be shocked to eternity that be the case if they realise how dirty some teams can actually play. Thing is, you are in South Africa so deal with it you bunch of soft clocks!!!
30 Jun 2009, 04:28 am
Morning all. So all’s well at the zoo I see!!!
I wish I knew what was going on with the okes that run SA Rugby. Just for ONCE I’d like to enjoy the win and not have to deal with all the KAK that goes with it…
Are Div and Regan trying to now present a united front and put out the PR fires? Do they even care how they have come across? Jis, I don’t know anymore
30 Jun 2009, 04:32 am
I see Treu has the ‘most media friendly award’ can’t we get him as sopesman or something…
By the by, anyone know when Peter is due to have that ‘rasist remarks’ meeting?
30 Jun 2009, 05:01 am
I couldn’t care less what colour PDV is or what racist remarks he comes out with. You guys in South Africa have to deal with that $hit. My only concern is the idiot is out of his depth when it comes to the media. Silly fool thinks his comments regarding the media being interested in him and he not in them smacks of ‘little man syndrome’.
Div actually thinks journalists are interested in him… Their brief is to interview whomever is the Bok coach. Silly fool thinks he is putting the media down. The media is sitting in the dunce corner from the get go with having to interview him.
SARU have a lot to answer for with the appointment of this idiom throwing idiot. SARU reaps what it sows.
Sadly PDV has inherited a talented team, shame he will never be credited with their winning way. SARU must suffer from Bi-Polar.
30 Jun 2009, 05:05 am
This overshadows all the good that South Africa has done to win credibility with the international media. Jake White had the last chuckle in this regard.
We have long since been known as arrogant, humourless goons and racists to boot. Our first Coloured coach has actually gone full circle and exhibited these same traits..to the world’s media.
Helium de Villiers is the lunatic dictator of the rugby world.
30 Jun 2009, 06:18 am
#751 kesbok: I Agree totally finally we have a coach that respect and is willing to back his player to the hilt even if he has to take one on the chin, which he is doing at this very moment.
I watch the incident again last night and never saw Burgers fingers actually go in his eyes, yes he was perhaps trying antagonise the young winger by fiddling with his face a bit but there was no actual gauging going on.
Everyone just assumes that because his hands were on the guys face its eye gauging. Sheridan clearly punched Bekker in the nuts which is just as bad.
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