Peter de Villiers was in a buoyant mood despite back-to-back defeats for the Springboks over the past two weeks on the away leg of the Tri-Nations in Australasia.

The Springbok coach, who arrived back in Cape Town late on Sunday night, said the exercise of fielding a host of young inexperienced players for the two Tri-Nations matches will be a good investment for the future, and something that will stand the next national team coach in good stead.

“The next Springbok coach will definitely have something to work with and this tour has really served an important function in that regard, ” said De Villiers.

“You must bear in mind that when the Rugby World Cup comes to an end, it won’t mark the end of rugby or rugby in South Africa for that matter.

“People will still want the Springboks to win matches and these players will still want to be part of a winning recipe.

“So we did a very good thing.

“This experience will be valuable for South African rugby after the World Cup. ”

After the Springboks lost 39-20 to Australia in Sydney, De Villiers said his team showed a pleasing improvement against New Zealand, despite going down 40-7 in Wellington.

“I was pleased with the way we came back against New Zealand and I would say there was at least an improvement of between 30 to 40 percent, ” said De Villiers.

“I didn’t think the score (40-7) was a true reflection of the game.

“Our big problem was the lack of team cohesion and that brought about the mistakes we saw on defence. ”

He said when the players came under pressure they reverted to the structures they were used to at their respective franchises instead of sticking to the team structures they worked on before the tour.

De Villiers said he was looking forward to welcoming back his seasoned campaigners when the home leg of the Tri-Nations gets under way.

“If one looks at the guys who were not on tour now, there are many players who have been around for eight or nine years in international rugby, ” De Villiers said.

“I expect that it will take them about two weeks or even a week to adapt to each other again. ”

De Villiers felt that none of the players who went on tour played themselves out of contention for World Cup selection but he insisted that the strongest teams will be picked for the two remaining Tri-Nations matches.

“Why will you keep your great guns back when you go to war? ” De Villiers reasoned.

“Victory in the two matches will be important because wins help to build confidence.

“It also helps to lay the foundation for a belief that we can do it, going forward to the World Cup.

“Some of the players, because of injury, would have been out of the game for four to six weeks so it’s vital that they get to play ahead of the start of the World Cup. ”

De Villiers arrived in Cape Town along with Stormers players Juan de Jongh and CJ Van der Linde, as well as assistant coach Gary Gold.

31 Responses to Peter de Villiers happy despite diabolical back-to-back losses

  • 1

    Mmmmm, when you are happy or buoyant after these 2 Tests and the damage you have caused Springbok Rugby… it says a lot about your mindset, your intelligence and your abilities.

    It also speaks volumes about the fact that Snor is happy with mediocrity.

    What a simpleton!

  • 2

    This is embarressing

  • 3

    The Springbok coach MUST be somebody who is not happy with anything other than the best, the best results, the best preparation, the best assistants and players playing to the best of their abilities… in team context.

    Anything other than that, is failure.

    Accepting anything other than that is simply not good enough.

    I would have moped around like a bear with a sore tooth… in fact I am… and I am not even coach!

    He’s our coach for a fast failing World Cup campaign in 2011, so we have to bear with him for a while… but dammit, after that he needs to be kicked out so bloody quickly that his ears ring!

  • 4

    Ek twyfel of die Bokke coaching moegoes genoeg kennis het om teen Ierland in die Quarters te wen….

    Sal dit nie ‘n skande wees as ons nie eers die semi’s haal nie!

  • 7

    4@ grootblousmile:
    But a very real possibility.

    If that happens Snor can go to the Sharks and join the last coach to fail miserably at a WC in Australasia.

  • 8

    At times on Saturday the Springbok tight 5 were EMBARRASSED by the All Blacks.

    How can the coach have ANY degree of satisfaction knowing that the conditions in NZ at the WC are going to suit a forward dominated game, and our “back-up” players have been taught lessons on consecutive weekends?

    Is the man on Cloud Cuckoo?

  • 9

    Here at RT we should start a sweepstake competition to guess the next SA coaching team.

  • 10

    GBS, someone should also tell Snor that in the photo he has used the wrong finger!

  • 11

    This is pathetic, are there no one left in SA rugby with any pride. HOw the hell do they go to their dayjob with any determination and pride.

    It is time someone fu..en speak up, it is time we go toi toi in fornt of Hq and tell these egocentric idiots what they are doing to our last vestige of pride.

  • 12

    @ biltongbek:
    You honestly think they would give a fukc?

    The powers that be at SARU don’t give a Continental Toss about you and I.

    If they were performing like this at a 3rd division soccer club in England they’d have supporters making scenes outside their houses and offices day and night until they resigned, but here in SA they know the supporters don’t have the collective b@lls to do anything.

    They have a DILLIGAF attitude towards our thoughts and feelings.

    DILLIGAF:

    Do
    I
    Look
    Like
    I
    Give
    A
    Fukc

  • 13

    12@ Scrumdown:
    Supporters in SA, to a large extent, deserve what they get!

    The apathy amongst us is so disapointing.

    Saw this clearly when I was envolved in SARSU… they will bitch and moan, but ask them to do something or to join and form a collective Supporters voice.. and they were nowhere!

  • 14

    13@ grootblousmile:
    It’s not only in sport, it’s in all walks of life.

    95% of South Africans won’t even send a k@k meal back in a restaurant in case “the chef spits on it”.

    FFS, k@k quality in any walk of life needs to be exposed and wiped out. It’s because we’re (well the majority) are too gutless to speak up that rectum’s like those controlling bodies like the GLRU can manage to wreck a ground breaking deal and still hold onto their jobs.

    It’s no wonder so many people are leaving this country. It saddens the fukc out of me how pathetic we’ve become!

  • 15

    Well, I think we need to figure out a way to have our voices heard.

    We sit here and talk about the sport we love most, sometimes I think collectively our knowledge surpasses that of the people in charge, we may not all know how to coach, but if we can see from a distance that things aren’t working how the hell can’t they.

    Just to give you an idea.

    Under Nick Mallet we scored 4 tries per test.

    Under Jake White we scored 3.6 tries per test

    We are no down to 2.5 tries per test.

  • 16

    15@ biltongbek:
    More to the point, what are the statistics against Tier 1 countries?

    When last did we score more than 3 tries against a “full strength” Tier 1 country?

  • 17

    Cheers all.

    Gotta shoot to a 5:30 meeting in Sunnyrock.

    Chat tomorrow.

  • 18

    “judge me at the wc” … think strauli was the first to utter those words, echoed by jw and now by pdv? thing is, we should never have allowed ANY coach to speak those words,
    so unless we change that in future, we’ll just have to deal with the fact that this will be the way things will be done in future!!

  • 19

    anyway, the wc has gained such importance that most people will allow the sacrifice of a few tests in order to win the trophy!

  • 20

    #19
    and before anyone jump down my throat with their number 14’s,
    we allowed jw to do the same,
    so
    😀 unless you moaned back then, you are not allowed to moan now 😆

  • 21

    20@ Ashley:
    Nee jinne Asbak, ek het daai tyd ook gemoan… maar hierdie is ‘n heel NUWE LEVEL van kak aanjaag!

  • 22

    Ashley ek is jammer my maat, maar dit is nou nie meer net n’ paar toetse nie dit is nou al 3 uit 4 teen OZ en 4 uit 4 teen NZ sedert verlede jaar.

    Hierdie verskoning van ons beplan vir die RWC is nou al n’ k@k verskoning

  • 23

    22@ biltongbek:
    Nie NET DIT nie… dis die manier van verloor…. moerse kak defence.

    Verlede jaar het die All Blacks en die Wallabies ons al wyd begin target… en met gemak deurgekom.

    Daar is net geen soliede verdedigingspatrone nie, iets waarop ons ons voorheen geroem het.

    Die Wêreldbekeraanslag van 2007 was primêr gebou rondom hegte verdediging. OK, ou Jake the Snake het ook so paar Tri-Nations gemes gegooi terwille van die Wêreldbeker, maar hierdie keer gaan dit regtig darem broekskeur jong!

    Ons het nou in net 2 Toetse 10 drieë afgestaan…. dis eenvoudig nie reg nie!

  • 24

    Ja en die probleem is daardie twee spanne het nou weinig vrees of respek vir ons oor. Ek wed jou Deans en Henry is nog lugtig vir die kaliber spelers wat ons het, maar ek is oortuig daarvan hulle giggel nou al kliphard vir ons taktiek.

    Wat my nog verder bekommer is hoe maklik die Reds en Crusaders op wie OZ en NZ hulle spel patrone baseer, die sop uit ons top Super spanne gehardloop het

  • 26

    25@ smallies72:
    Dit was ook maar Jake se WEGWEDSTRYDE wat in die slag geduik het… hy was miskien net gelukkig dat daar daai jaar eers tuiswedstryde in die Tri-Nations was.

    Die punt wat ek en meeste hier maak is dat GEEN Toets afgeskeep behoort te word nie… NIE EEN NIE!

    Ons was daai tyd net so de bliksem in vir Jake… en het hom die bynaam gegee van “Jake The Snake”.

  • 27

    As a piece of perspective.

    Last night on ESPN Classic I watched the 2005 3N test between SA and Aus played at Loftus.

    Halfway through the 2nd Half, CJ was replaced by Gary Botha and John Smit moved to Tight Head.

    So the Snor bashers who say it is his tactic to play Barney at Prop have it wrong. It was originally Jake White’s idea.

    Oh by the way, the first scrum after the change the Bok scrum got smashed.

  • 28

    Smit at best, if he plays prop is at loosehead, and then, he will never dominate his tighthead opponent. I feel Smit should only be used at prop if there is no other option available on match day, due to injury, but then the uncontested scrum could be an advantage if Smit is the only option left for the front row.
    Smit is a hooker, and he has been a damn fine one over the years for SA and the Sharks, but he is being screwed by his coaches, especially Plumtree this year, PDV last year.
    Smit at his best at hooker stands back for no other hooker, even Bissie.
    I am sure he will find his form before the WC and will not let the team down.

  • 29

    gooooodmorning everyone!!
    gbs @ 26
    i’m with you on that one … every single test should be seen as important, and should never be seen as “games to just get out of the way”
    but
    (and i’m not just refering to jw using the exact same tactic), we have for too long allowed coaches to cling on to their jobs in the hope that we may win the wc … by doing so, we ourselves have told the guys at sarugby that we do not see each test as important AS LONG AS WE WIN THE WC!!
    so, am i trying to say that we cant have a change of heart?
    hardly!! but, we (as supporters) need to give sarugby an indication in ADVANCE that we wont tolerate ANY FUTURE COACH pulling the same stunt … we cant be silent when jw do it, and be up in arms now that pdv do it, without sounding like hypocrites,
    but
    we can definately let sarugby know that we wont stand for something like this anymore!!
    would the give a heck (as few of you guys have suggested over the last few days)? i dont know … but i do know that you dont start something because you are sure of a result,
    but because of the propable result you may achieve!!
    ..
    anyway, enough of that!!

    ou gbs
    dr. tim noakes wrote a piece for our site a while ago … how about getting his take on eg:
    was this rest period in time (i think he suggested that the boks shouldve rested last year already),
    if it wasnt in time, what shouldve been done etc etc etc.

  • 30

    29@ Ashley:
    Very good points old Asbakkie…. we should definately not again have a coach appointed from just after this World Cup to after the next World Cup… for 4 bloody years. Also we should never give him licence to drop a single Test in favour of a future event…

    That leads to only ONE thing and that is the mentality of “Judge me on the World Cup”…. and for everything else I am safe…

    Best would be a 2 year term now for a brand new coach, connected to stringent performance clauses demanding very good results against Tier 1 Countries. Should one then need to get rid of the sucker, you have 2 avenues:

    No 1 – Take him out on strenght of non-performance in terma of performance clauses
    No 2 – Do not renew his contract a full 2 years prior to the World Cup.

    This will give ample time to find someone else but it will also keep the coach on his toes otherwise he will know that he is out and gone.

    Same applies to the Assistant coaches… and for goodness sakes, allow the head coach to appoint a scrumming coach and a defensive coach… that should be part and parcel of the National coaching structure and one should NEVER be without these 2 specialist type coaches at the Bokke!

    I will mail Dr Tim Noakes and ask his opinion about the rest periods which the senior Bokke had now and whether that was timeous and / or sufficient.

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