Bok coach Pieter De Villiers has, once again, put his foot in his mouth. While speaking at the launch of the Botha / Matfield “Blood Brothers” campaign the motor mouthed mentor said:” if fans see Botha on the rugby field with a smile on his face, it means that he has just punched someone.”
This comes after Botha has had the following suspensions:
- 9 Weeks for head butting Jimmy Cowen
- 4 Weeks for shoulder charging Gio Aplon
- 2 Weeks for the shoulder charge during the Lions tour
Does the man not think or does he actually condone and support dirty play? Just wait for the British press to start writing about Div’s comments [ remember his comments after Schalk Burger eye gouged?], when we get to Mud Island.
Sê ek oek mos …
MOER HULLE BAKKIES!!!
Mmmmmm he smiles quite often 😆
We should rename him “Smiler”.
Unfortunately South African humour is not appreciated by a wide audience, but I must say, when he is in the Green and Gold, I love seeing him throwing people around when they get out of line. Div should keep a low profile though. But…ag who cares, let them complain.
Jammer oor die nuwe aanval op Div., Bakkies kan maar smile soos hy wil en Div kan maar. Ja hy kan maar aanhou sy manne support hy het n moerse lekker span en hy gaan GAT skop. Die pers moet bykom , gn wonner die regering wil die pers aan bande le nie. Ons is ons eie grootste vyand .
Most rugbymen and especially most South Africans know where Div is coming from with his remark. Problem is the everything he says is qouted and used out of context and Div should know it by now. This remark will certainly found its way into the British newspapers and it will not be used in a favourable way.
In what was meant to be a tribute to Botha and Matfield’s strength of character, given that the Bok mentor would know the pair as people better than most, De Villiers explained that if Springbok fans see Botha smiling on the field then they should know that he had “just punched someone”.
This verbal faux pas – so typical of De Villiers’s tenure as Bok mentor – is wholly innapropriate, considering Botha’s chequered disciplinary record.
Whether or not the comment was made in jest is irrelevant as it has done further damage to the reputations of both Botha and De Villiers.
De Villiers does not seem to be doing himself, or indeed his new media manager Andy Colquhoun, any favours ahead of their year-end tour.
The British press will doubtless focus on this thoughtless comment, creating a distracting sideshow similar to the Schalk Burger eye-gouging debacle ahead of the third Test against the B&I Lions last year.
If De Villiers cannot stay away from controversy at a charity initiative – which should highlight his players’ virtous qualities – what chance does he have in the United Kingdom and Ireland where questions from the press will be designed to evoke a controversial response?
Colquhoun, said it was not worth dignifying with a response.
He described the function as “a light-hearted, celebratory evening of laughter”.
I think it was said in jest, but it seems everything seems to get blown out of proportion.
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