Although the Boks are the best team in world rugby and are possibly the finest Bok team ever, the debate around Peter De Villiers as coach is as polarised as ever, with those who claim him to be the best Bok coach ever and those who hold the view that he has been fortunate to inherit the best Bok team ever.
This has become a difficult subject to get objectivity on as like many other areas of South African life, it has become political.
Furthermore one gets the impression that a lot of observers are avoiding this subject as whatever your view, you are likely to get attacked by those on the other side of the political spectrum. As a result a lot of the comment tends to scratch the surface without taking a deeper look at what the requirements of a modern day coach should be.
When last did you hear a statement from the manager of the Bok team?
Do we even know who the manager of the Bok team is?
The modern day coach is in effect a manager. He needs to assemble a team of specialists around him who effectively take care of most of the coaching from a practical day to day point of view. The coach is therefore the managing director of the company. In managing his team of specialists and players he needs to be the one who has excellent man management skills as well as possesing the vision and direction in order to keep the team moving forward into the future. So although he needs to emply specialists, such as a scrumming coach, he also needs to have a very good tactical and technical knowledge of the game. This is where team selection becomes one of his most important roles and an area where his ability is tested out in the open for all to see. Simply put, the team selection, tactics and adaption on the day fall upon his shoulders.
Peter De Villiers needs to be judged in the light of the above requirements of a modern day coach. There can be no doubt that his attitude today is very different from when he first took on the job of Bok coach. His failure with the press is well documented. His racial statements in defending himself did not help his cause. His romantic view about the number of black players that should be represented in the team and his stated views on playing a brand of total rugby have all been adjusted as he has no doubt come to understand the pressures of being the Bok coach and the absolute importance of winning as a Bok coach.
In short he appears to have learnt on the job, which in itself is something that all good managers are very capable of. It is true that he has had an exceptional group of players to work with and there can be no discounting his passion and commitment to the cause of Bok rugby. He will still be challenged in the months to come and once again, how he responds as a manager to those challenges will determine his continued success or failure.
The harsh reality is that you are only as good as your last game, whether you are a player or a coach. Here is hoping that the Boks go from strength to strength.
TIGHT HEAD
29@Supa Die Bloubul – Easy…. Tight Head as scrumming coach, Morne as video analist, myself as man-manager and Head Coach… As assistants… hmmmmmmm…. let me think…Heyneke Meyer (forwards), Pieter Rossouw (backline)… Supa as baggage master….
#18 GBS, and to latch on to your argument: I have great difficulty believing that the cupboard of SA player talent was bare during the Viljoen and Strauli years. It has never been bare in my opinion.
What Jake did was consistently select players from that supposed bare cupboard, gave them a simple game plan that suited there strenghts and let them get on with it. For that he deserves all my respect.
Of course now years later, those same players have become worldbeaters and rugbyworld leaders in their various positions. It has taken two different coaches with two very different personalities and outlooks to achieve that.
We have much to be thankful for, little to regret and enough time now to consider that this too shall pass…
28@grootblousmile – Was going to say nobody’s perfect except me!
#24 GBS, Nah no ogre! Well, not in my book anyway…..Anybody who has ‘smile’ in their nick must be ok?
Pas jou goed self op! 😉
31@grootblousmile –
The only successful thing in that team will be, how “on time” and in perfect condition the baggage will arrive!
35@Supa Die Bloubul – At the wrong destination….. hehe
@grootblousmile – and the wrong baggage.
36@grootblousmile –
Only because the “man-manager” and head coach booked the team to Ethihopia on the wrong flight!
Hey Fender, waar is jou foto?
@fender – 32
Your posts make a lot sense
I do however have slight doubt about how full the cupboard was during the Viljoen and Straulli years, and also whether PdV’s current style is that much different from the Jake White style
@grootblousmile – I’ll be the cheerleader consultant and manager.
37@K9-MonsterLeeu – But there will be plenty to drink…. hehehe
@Tripples – gesensor.
41@K9-MonsterLeeu – …and head cheerleader… 🙄
@Scrumdown – 33
Reminds me of John Eales’ nickname – “Nobody”
Nobody’s perfect
Ek stem volkome saam dat sy uitlatings my niks plas, al is dit hoe lagwekkkend of sotliks.
Wat tel is wen.
Ons moes die Leeus gemoor het maar het net op ons gatte deurgeskraap….
Selle met verlede jaar se 3N.
Hy is onervare en naief soos jy self gesien het mt sy onverklaarbare plaasvervangings.
@grootblousmile –
Miss Fender Bender,
I cannot agree more with you!
But anything that was said by Morne is frowned upon by me….
@fender –
@sparty –
It is nice to be quoted!
I dont know if I want to venture into this debate again.
Good article TH. Yes think PdV has made a u-turn around since last year. Has learnt from his mistakes and it is showing this year. Also with the media he is talking a lot better. Good for him.
He did inherit a great team but we have to give him credit for keeping most of that team together and still selecting John Smit as Captain and Victor as Vice Captain.
I too hope we go from strength to strength. We could.
Now about the overseas players. I do hope he does still select about 2 from there especially Frans Steyn.
Tripples, during the eighties (its before your time I know but bear with me…)the South African music scene was blessed by an astonishing guitar talent.
This guy could gooi renditions of Siembamba and other FAK favourites that could make your blood curdle or your toes curl or your blood curl….anyway you get the picture.
That guy was a household name: Die Kavalier!!! And he was very, very clever – he always wore a black mask. Come too think of it, it was a bit weird for a whitie to wear a black mask at that time, but I digress….
And so, in the tradition of fine SA guitarists my face shall also remain hidden here. I trust that you understand that I regrettably have no choice in this matter.
@fender – #50 Uhm the eighties was NOT before my time hehehehe, know all about the Kavalier…….. I will therefor respect your choice, may we refer to you as the ‘gemaskerde sopbeen” from now on 😆
#40 SAB
You might want to check out how many of Jake’s and even the current stalwarts were around during those previous eras. I understand that talent pools may be cyclical, but talent alone doth not a world beater make. I think Jake realised that…
In terms of styles: I’m referring to management styles and not playing styles.
50@fender – What are you saying… are you the “Gemaskerde Donner” or just too plain ugly to be seen on a photo ??
Let me say this though.
It is very difficult to judge a coach on whether he is good or bad. As most mentioned, results is what coaches are judged on, fairly or unfairly.
Some of the best rugby brains, or greatest players, does not make the best coaches.
A story I heard about Rassie Erasmus once was that analytically, he has one of the sharpest brains around. He could plot you a game plan and strategies on a white board like no one else.
Problem is however, white boards do not coach, people do.
Your ability as a coach should be measured to how you bring your ideas and tactics etc. across to players, that will determine how or if they buy into it, and will effectively determine how successful you will be.
Many times I have been asked why I do not coach.
I can promise you, analysing the game of rugby is easy, coaching it if fokking difficult.
Like anything in life, people under you will perform for you when they are happy, they trust you, and they agree with what you do or what you want to do and accomplish.
Rugby teams and players are inhereted all the time, good and bad.
Much better Bok teams have lost against much worse AB and Aus teams in the past.
I have said many times, I will pick heart and a team player over individual talent 9 days of the week and on public holidays.
Heyneke Meyer himself said he selects the personality first, and the player thereafter.
Fact is, at this level you do very little ‘coaching’. That is done at club, VC and CC level.
You need the ability to bring 30 very different guys together, and get them to believe in each other and a common goal.
Belief in rugby counts for more than what people would like to believe.
#47 Stan, give me a friggin’ break, my man – you’re ruining a very special relationship by agreeing with me every time! 😉
@Supa Die Bloubul – 27
Hi Supa, Hope you well boet.
Agree there with PdV allowing the players more freedom to lead and make decisions. Was a smart move by our coach. We do have to give him credit there. Most coaches would never have allowed that. Good not to have changed things too much. He did try last year and it never worked his gameplan and credit to him it all changed this year with allowing the players do have some decisions.
Tripples and GBS,
Shucks, I suppose I asked for that, didn’t I? But then again “Gemaskerde Sopbeen” is better than “Gemaskerde Fopspeen” so it’ll do I suppose.
Guys, I look forward to meeting you in person when next you are down here under Kanonkop’s shadow and if you want to, you can take as many phodies of me as you want. But I will ask you very nicely not to put any of those phodies on the site, that’s all.
I like things the way they are…
@fender –
In my hacking days I used to know a guy that went by the name: “Geel gemaskerde geelwortel sopbeen”.
Your anonymity is respected 😉
I havent a clue if Snor is a good coach or not, I didnt care for him when he was first chosen as he did not endure himself to the public, but i do think he came in under difficult circumstances and has been clever enough to stick to our WORLD CUP WINNING TEAM with a few changes of his own which is fine.
But i think his most difficult challenge will come when he has to replace some of our older players in a few years time, maybe then we will all find out if he is a good coach or not. For me a winning coach is a good coach. 🙄
#Morne 58
Why did I think all along that you might see the logic of this anonymity, Morne? 😉
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