“Make a public apology or we won’t speak to you again.”
That is the ultimatum that the Springbok team have issued Australian TV company Fox Sports after coach Peter de Villiers was called a clown during the company’s rugby programme, The Rugby Club.
Former Wallaby hooker Brendan Cannon said in a discussion on Wednesday night about the upcoming Test between the Springboks and Wallabies that De Villiers is a clown.
“I can’t believe that senior players like John Smit and Victor Matfield allow themselves to be controlled by this guy. He is a clown. He surely does not coach the team,” said Cannon.
A number of De Villiers’s most controversial statements from the past were mentioned, with each panel member belittling him.
Springbok spokesperson Anthony Mackaiser said that it was decided then that enough is enough.
“I spoke to the executive producer of the programme and we are demanding an immediate apology. They have no right to talk about our coach that way and we view it in poor taste and a very negative light,” he said.
Mackaiser said they had informed the station that no Springbok player or member of management would speak to Fox until Cannon has apologised on air.
If Cannon does not do it, no interviews will be possible in the build-up programmes prior to Saturday’s Test.
Fox are the local affiliate of Newscorp, who owe the TV rights for the Tri-Nations and as such have certain preferential rights. One of them is interviews in the build-up to a Test.
As in New Zealand, De Villiers is a popular topic in the local media, who are painting the Boks as a bunch of undisciplined bullies.
A report in The Australian earlier in the week referred to De Villiers as an “extremely unpredictable man”.
The attack follows several similar attempts by TV stations and newspapers in New Zealand to belittle De Villiers.
His relationship with the international media on tours has never been good, but the comment by Cannon is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Meanwhile, Rugby Heaven columnist Greg Growden has described the Bok coach as rugby’s own Richard Pryor. He described De Villiers as a “part-time Springbok coach and full-time comedian”.
@ rugbybal:
Howzit rugbybal? Only one team I’ll be supporting tonight and that’s the ever-reliable, always consistent Wallabies. What did I just say? Anyway, the Wallas for me, but I fear the wounded bok like never before. Two losses on the trot is out of character for the world champs. Wallas need to get their act together and play the way we all know they can. I’ll be very interested in Aplon’s performance tonight. I believe he should have been in the team weeks ago and is chock full of potential – I want to see him run with the ball!!! As for the other contentious bok selections, I believe you put a bok jumper on their back and send them out on the field and they become 3 metres tall and bulletproof, so they’ll play with spirit and passion. Four hours until kick-off; barbecue is on; steaks are marinating; mates on their way with ample fluids. Gotta luv this game!!!
Go the Wallas!!!!!!!!
bluebird @ 57
Since much of the ocean is still unexplored, whats the chances that Megalodon is still out there?
Morning everyone.
GBS GET OUT OF BED AND PUT UP A BOK/OZ THREAD FOR US. You sleep your life away boeta..hehehe.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:63 – Morning OldG. Jeepers the time zones what a difference. I would rather be doing just that right now. You making my mouth water…haha. Steaks and a Braai already!!! Sounds good to me. I just had breakfast and now a strong cup of coffee.
Superbal, Where are you boet? Put up a Bok/Oz thread for us.
I’m feeling confident that our boys will win today, and I think they will do it convincingly to. Boks by 15-20. Hope I’m not wrong.
Oh….and Vrystaat to win too 🙂
puma @63
lol
yes, daai mannetjie slaap maar laat jong!!
hy gaan weer met die verskoning kom dat hy hard werk!!
bos_otter @ 67
met jou op daai een!!
VRYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!
PUMA @ 64
am in need of a STRONG cup of coffee too, lol
@ Ashley:Ash 😆 Yip that will be the excuse gbs will use. That he works too hark…hehe. Think he was out on a super duper jol last night. Read here he was off to some fancy function.
hellooooooooooooooooooo!!
anyone?
@ Puma:71 – hark = hard. Typos already, so early in morning.. hehehe 😯 😯
puma @ 71
cant understand how people could invite him to such functions … unless its as an example of someone that doesnt fit in 😆
puma @ 73
lol
should leave the typos to me bru
had quite a late evening … will have to be on my best behaviour for the rest of the weekend 😥
@ bos_otter:66 – Bos now that is confedence. Boks by 15 or 20 😀 Hope so but think if we win will be anywhere from 3 to 7. Just hope we win this one. Wont be good to come home after losing 3 on the trott.
GOOOOOOOOOOO BOKKE.
yebo!!
gooooooooooooooooooooooo bokke!!
@ Ashley: 😆
@ Ashley:75 Ash with pleasure….hehehe. You can take over the typos today….hehehe. I broke out of my healthy diet last night too. 😥 So also had a late night and a few glasses of wine. I am useless trying to follow a good healthy diet. But back on it today. Also if we both had a late night and up early then no excuse for OUR WEBMASTER…..gbs GET out of bed and put up a Bok/Oz thread.
@ Ashley:70 – Ash, I am on my 2nd cup of strong, strong coffee 😀
puma @ 79
lucky you …. i’m at work!! 😥
No Sharks rugby on tv last night. Felt angry with dstv. See it must have been a good game. Sharks beat Pumas 27 – 17 thought we would have beaten em by much more. Pity never got to see it. Shame on you dstv. Should have shown both games. Only Provence game was on.
@ Ashley:80 – Ash, I will have another cup for you buddy..hehe. Is there a tv where you work or is that a daft question? Otherwise you will have to hear here how our Boks are playing in a hour and a half now.
puma @ 81
agree
its time that dstv give exposure to the smaller unions like the sharks too
shame on you dstv!! 😆
@ Ashley:83 – Ash…hehehehe. Good one. 😆
I got all ready to watch and guess what? There came out Provence and NO Sharks. Only watched the WP game for 15min then turned off the tv. Felt mad that the Sharks game was not on.
puma @ 82
no tv, but will watch the game on the net
thanks for asking anyway
@ Ashley:85 – At least you will see it Ash, also you can blog with us.
puma @ 84
know that feeling boet
hope the rest of your evening was better!!
puma @ 86
yep
just hope we do much better today though
@ Ashley:87 – Ash, yip the evening was great.
@ Ashley: 88 – Yeah hope we play better today. A win even by one point would do fine, with a bonus that would be awesome. Just please no lose today. Think the Aussies will be tough to beat.
snoek
ek sien jou!!
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