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De Villiers: Everything is about the BoksDate Posted: Thursday 01-May-2008By Ashfak Mohamed
Peter de Villiers has had an eventful time since being appointed Springbok coach. There was a dispute over his contract, he appointed John Smit as captain very early in his tenure, and he has seen the South African Super 14 teams experience mixed fortunes.
This week we asked him to reflect on his first four months in the job.
Question: How has it felt to be the Springbok coach?
Answer: Well, we haven't played at this stage, so for the moment I have put in a lot of structures for the road ahead. We know what we want to achieve. The fact that we don't have everything in place, in terms of the management team and all those things, does make it a bit difficult. But I think we are on course and looking forward to the first training camp on May 18 in Stellenbosch.
Q: Have the contract problems affected you at all?
A: It never affected me. The focus is to get the best for rugby. There will be a few rocks on that road. And if you didn't bring climbing shoes, don't expect to be able to climb those rocks.
Q: There has been a long delay with the appointment of your management team. When will it be announced?
A: I don't know. I just hope it gets sorted out as soon as possible. I have been running around trying to get all the structures in place. We can then either focus on the fact many people have not been appointed yet and make a fuss of that, or we go ahead and do what we can. What is important is that there is a Test to be played and there won't be any excuses if we don't do our best. Nothing will get my focus off what I have been appointed for.
Q: How do you feel about Saru president Oregan Hoskins's announcement last week that you may pick overseas-based players for the Springboks?
A: I don't know if we are going to even use three, but all I want to say is that everything being said in the newspapers about me being able to pick as many overseas players as I want is totally untrue. Just like my salary packet that was mentioned out there, which was incorrect, so is this thing.
Q: What is the current rule with regard to the selection of overseas-based players?
A: It is not a constitutional story, but it was a binding decision taken by the Presidents' Council that we may pick only three overseas-based players. And only they can change that decision. The amount of overseas players that I am allowed to pick doesn't really bother me. I think we have many good players in our country. But the wrong message going out does bother me.
Q: Why did you name John Smit as captain so early?
A: John Smit is the most respected rugby player in the world at the moment. And I don't think we should make the same mistakes that we made in the past, when a guy has just built up that kind of image, and then we let him go. And we start all over again. John has an inspirational influence on the players. And I think everybody in the team respects him too. So, as part of the groundwork to get where I want to be, I think he is the right choice. John is a rugby gentleman. He is able to get along with all people, while he is a very open person and goes through life without any agendas. I think he is a true ambassador for South Africa. So I think it would be stupid to let him go now.
John is also playing good rugby at the moment. It will benefit South African rugby to have that kind of experience. I want him to bring that into the team, so we can move forward instead of starting all over.
Q: But won't it make the hookers who are playing well disillusioned? Couldn't you have waited until you announced your first squad?
A: We are sitting on an international problem, not a national one. There is a window period where players who are in Europe are only released on certain dates. This causes a lot of problems to get players here in time. To be able to adhere to that IRB regulation, we had to announce our captain as soon as possible, so that the French club where he is playing can know. We would've been in a huge fight, which would have affected John, if we didn't announce him as the captain when we did. So, for me, it was about South African rugby, the continuity in our rugby; it was about John Smit the person.
If you look at John Smit's standing in South African rugby, he had four years where people were very critical of him, and many times he had to stand alone as well. He maybe earned that criticism because he had to play in a certain pattern that didn't suit his style. So maybe that had an influence on his game. John Smit has a family that also reads newspapers. I don't think our stars and icons deserve to be taken out like John has.
It is possible that John being named captain could have an effect on other players.
If John is there, then there will be six or seven players who will be inspired to play. If he isn't there, then everyone will play for himself. You will struggle to get a team together if you don't have that influential player around. The other guys who are performing as they are now are being considered.
Q: Will your team for the Wales Test include mainly players from the World Cup or in-form players from the Super 14?
A: If two players are on the same level and have the same form, and the one played in the World Cup, then his experience is irreplaceable. But if we have two players and one is performing much better than the other who was at the World Cup, then I will be stupid to not go with the new guy. We have to win a Test.
Q: Have you received any pressure from the government or people inside rugby to pick more black players?
A: No pressure. No one has ever called me to say I should look at that. No one has up to now interfered.
Q: How are you going to deal with transformation?
A: It is going to be very easy to deal with transformation. I am just going to be honest. If you look at the form of the players of colour out there at the moment, then we don't have to be worried about anything. The one thing that counts is that players must perform. That is what it is all about.
Q: You said earlier this year that the Boks could win in New Zealand. After watching the SA teams' fluctuating fortunes in the Super 14, do you still feel the same?
A: If you go to New Zealand, it is like going into a lion's den. The fact that the lion has an 80 percent chance to rip you apart is true. But that 20 percent is your hope that things can go your way. To go to New Zealand and think you are going to take them apart is wishful thinking. The reality is that New Zealand is possibly the strongest rugby unit that exists. Self-belief is also something that is irreplaceable. Our teams are not doing well in New Zealand and that will be our biggest problem.
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