News

Long week ahead for De Villiers

August 24 2008

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is in for a very long week ahead following his team's stuttering performance in going down 27-15 to Australia in Saturday's Tri-Nations clash in Durban.

His proposed gameplan for South Africa has drawn widepread criticism and he faces the ignominy of being the first Springbok coach not to win a home Tri-Nations match since the tournament began.

Having lost to New Zealand and Australia within a fortnight, the Boks play the Wallabies again on Saturday in Johannesburg.

The Boks have lost four of their five Tri-Nations matches, which so tested Durban's paying public that they booed the coach and his captain, Victor Matfied, when they gave their post-match interviews.

"There's little difference between winning and losing, except that one feels better after winning," he said at the post-match media conference.

De Villiers is, however, concerned that his team still is not accurate enough in the execution of their play and because the players are playing too individually.

However, he will persevere with his new vision of how the Springboks should play the game, and says that the players have bought into his plan of expansive rugby. However, De Villiers admitted that it would be difficult to motivate the side for Saturday's final match in the Tri-Nations competition.

"We have only pride left to play for," he said.

"The players must do justice to themselves and to their country."

De Villiers got an unlikely ally in his fight to change the Boks' tactics in Robbie Deans, who coached the Wallabies to their first win in South Africa in eight years.

"Under the ELVs you have to choose a style that suits you," he said.

"The one-dimensional approach doesn't cut the mustard anymore."

South Africa Rugby Union (SARU) president Oregan Hoskins agreed that it will be a difficult week, although he was adamant that De Villiers' job is still safe despite losing two home Tri-Nations Tests for the first time in a season.

"The guys will really have to dig deep and show character," Hoskins said.

"Winning for South Africa is very important, historically.

"You can talk about vision or gameplans, winning must remain a priority."

Hoskins said this week will be the toughest of De Villiers' short career in charge of the Springboks.

"He has to show his character in the world's toughest coaching job," said Hoskins.

"This is going to be a very difficult week for the Boks.

"All I can do as an administrator is stand by the team."

Hoskins was encouraged that South Africa are playing this weekend's game on the Highveld, where Australia have not won since the 1960's.

"Ellis Park is going to be very difficult. Fortunately we have history on our side playing there."

Unfortunately, the Boks had a similar thing going in Durban.