South African coach Peter de Villiers refused to change his outspoken ways but said on Thursday he would walk into the Lions changing room and congratulate rival Ian McGeechan if the Springboks lost the final Test.
Sport24 reports that with South Africa holding an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, Saturday’s game at Coca Cola Park appears to be anticlimactic. But De Villiers has angered the Lions by apparently condoning Schalk Burger’s eye-gouging of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald in last Saturday’s series-clinching 28-25 Springboks victory at Pretoria. The flanker was sent to the sinbin and wound up with an eight-week suspension.
Although he and South Africa’s Rugby Union later issued an apology and said eye-gouging should not be part of the game, he then said that if rough play were taken out of rugby, it would resemble a ballet performance.
“There was a lot said. I think it was too much,” De Villiers said on Thursday. “I think we must move on to the next Test.”
There has also been a dispute, however, over whether McGeechan congratulated De Villiers after Saturday’s game at Loftus Versfeld. According to the Lions, their head coach offered his congratulations after Saturday’s game but the South African media reported De Villiers as saying it didn’t happen.
“It’s our word against theirs,” he said at Thursday’s team announcement. “The South African media have already made me out to be a liar. Let’s see who wins the third Test and, if they do, I’ll go in to their changing room and give Ian McGeechan my congratulations.”
“I won’t change my style,” he said. “If I change my style I change Peter de Villiers and I go back to God and say ‘you made a bad job’ “.
De Villiers said that he had reacted to some of the “negative” media from Britain.
“What I learned is that, if they can’t beat you they try and assert their superiority in other ways,” he said in reference to the British and Irish media following the Lions tour.
“I won’t change myself. What I will do is keep my feet on the ground, be humble and be a good servant of this game.”
I agree with Morne’s on this whole issue.
The South African media should be ashamed of the way they’ve treated the Bok coach.
He was very naive to think he can speak his mind but that still doesn’t mean they should take advantage.
What I am more concerned about is why he is not getting ANY credit from the media?
The only journo to congratulate him was Gary Boshoff (Claytie’s uncle)
amen! Go you good thing
@wpw (Comment 1) : it’s because he’s proved them wrong and they can’t stand to admit that
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG FISH…A FULL 30 YEARS…BE BLESSED !!!
@Charlie (Comment 4) : wow, the big one for Fishsticks! Worth a phonecall that one
Happy 30th Big D!Have a solid one boykie, no studying tonight.
Happy Birthday Big Fish…
Well in PdV…talk the talk and just make sure you walk the walk…
@blackshark (Comment 7) : Moonwalk
Happy birthday Big Fish
….and Sharks Girl…if she is still around
Firstly Happy birthday to all concerned.
Secondly, and appropriately, while we are talking abou age, PdeV’s interviews bring out the child in me.
@Charlie (Comment 8) :
Oh yeah!
MJ hour between 1-2 pm RSA time. So pay your respect wherever you are.
@Pokkel (Comment 9) : Sharks Girl is celebrating with a new car
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FISHY!
Happy Happy Happy
HAPPY BIRTDAY, SHARKSGIRL !!!
Oh…I missed that…happy birthday SharkGirl…
@blackshark (Comment 11) :
I will donate money to the animal sanctuary Bublles is in.
Happy B-day to the fish and shark!
@Morné (Comment 17) :
You think Bubbles knows what’s going on?
@robdylan (Comment 12) : Poor soul….only a new car
@blackshark (Comment 19) :
No but I reckoned he’s pissed MJ dropped him and decided that an animal sanctuary is now his future!
@Morné (Comment 21) :
Who the hell is Bubbles??
@Prof. Ice (Comment 22) :
Dit wil ek oek weet!!!
@Prof. Ice (Comment 22) :
It is his little monkey (chimp) friend that he had, before he left him in an animal sanctuary!!!
Drank tea out of the same cup even – they were very close!
@wpw (Comment 23) : Michael Jackson’s chimp, of course!
@Morné (Comment 24) :
Shame – I think he really died a very lonely man…
I thought the monkey was Ben
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I’ll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see
You’ve got a friend in me
(you’ve got a friend in me)
Ben, you’re always running here and there
You feel you’re not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind
And don’t like what you find
There’s one thing you should know
You’ve got a place to go
(you’ve got a place to go)
I used to say “I” and “me”
Now it’s “us”, now it’s “we”
I used to say “I” and “me”
Now it’s “us”, now it’s “we”
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don’t listen to a word they say
They don’t see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I’m sure they’d think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(a friend) Like Ben
(like Ben) Like Ben
A very beautiful song really…its on eof those that makes me cry when I hear it…
@Morné (Comment 24) : sent him away when MJ realised the chimp was better looking in the gossip mags
@Claytie (Comment 27) :
For some reason I think “ben” was an disabled boy…but not sure..
@Rahul (Comment 29) :
ouch!!
@Prof. Ice (Comment 30) : Ben was a rat. Song written for the movie Ben about a killer rat
@wpw (Comment 31) : It was an elaborate ruse naming his monkey bubbles!
@Rahul (Comment 32) :
Thanks!
Must be mistaken with another song…but then again, iam a drama queen, so I like to exagerate a little to add to the drama.. 
@Prof. Ice (Comment 34) :
always entertaining
Morning all! Not sure which is worse
….MJ or PDV…..at least PDV has someting to do with rugby on a rugby site 
……Oh where is “Hellbent” 
…he’ll get us on the right track again 
By the by….I thought Bubbles was one of those orange apes from Boneo??
@Me2 (Comment 37) :
hey Me2!!
We learn everyday!!
@Rahul (Comment 35) :
Why, thank you!!
@Prof. Ice (Comment 38) : I’m bored……..
@Me2 (Comment 39) :
i am busy at work – but always time for a little play inbetween – I am the master of multitasking..
@Prof. Ice (Comment 40) : I have a lot of work to do BUT it is boring work
Must say ole PDV keeps me smiling though!
I’m awefully chuffed for Syksie…looking forward to seeing him in Green & Gold… his folks must be over the moon!
@Me2 (Comment 41) :
yeah – it was time for it!
i did not think his chance would come so quickly, as Bakkies is the obvious choice with experience etc….but I am also glad Bakkies is a Bullebak(kies)…now Sykes gets he’s chance! 
@Me2 (Comment 41) : also really stoked for Stevie
@Prof. Ice (Comment 42) :
Although – I have to admit – it was the one time where I actually thought he was innocent of the offence he was charged with..
@Prof. Ice (Comment 42) : I think he needs to send BoD a biltong basket too
@Rahul (Comment 32) :
, enjoyed it.
Saw the movie the other day,weird but
@Salmonoid (Comment 46) : not my taste at all
@Salmonoid (Comment 46) : Cant believe you watched it!
Huh…Fish and I are the same age. Who’d have thunk. Happy Birthday Fish Burger!
“It’s our word against theirs,” he said at Thursday’s team announcement. “The South African media have already made me out to be a liar. Let’s see who wins the third Test and, if they do, I’ll go in to their changing room and give Ian McGeechan my congratulations.”
How magnanimous.
@robdylan (Comment 45) :
@Rahul (Comment 48) :
I was bored and it started growing on me. Very dark moovie though.
@Salmonoid (Comment 52) :
is this now the Giant Rat thing…? Is it animation?
@Prof. Ice (Comment 53) :
Yep, not animation, well maybe Ben was a bit enhanced because he was a big mother, but he looked real. Basically its about what happens when good intentioned rats go bad.
@klempie (Comment 50) : you only have 1 drum, don’t you?
@Salmonoid (Comment 54) :
Ohhhh – like Arachnida or some sheit like that?? I am not into those things and sci-fi..I am a realistic type of gal…
It’s Duane Vermuelen’s birthday today as well!!!
@robdylan (Comment 55) : You only need one to keep a rhythm.
@Prof. Ice (Comment 56) :
My description was very basic, its not like any of those creature movies, this one is dark and
@klempie (Comment 58) :
Div would have said, “you only need one to make a band”
@Salmonoid (Comment 60) :
Hey guys, thanks for the birthday wishes – I’m on the crest looking all the way downhill now I guess.
For the record, I hope we destroy the BIL as an appropriate present for me!
@Big Fish (Comment 62) : I will give them your request
@Charlie (Comment 63) : I thought you weren’t playing?
@robdylan (Comment 64) :
i am sure he can still give them the request though..
@robdylan to change the subject completely are you doing a superbru log for Tri Nations if so wahts the pool group
@Fattmann (Comment 66) : oh – have they launched it?
Lemme go look
Thanks Rob
@Fattmann (Comment 68) : pepsirks
“I won’t change my style,” he said. “If I change my style I change Peter de Villiers
Good for him.
He ain’t the first and he won’t be the last bok coach to be nailed by the media in an atempt to sell a few more papers.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 70) : in fact, if they didn’t do it, he’d be the first not to…
@robdylan (Comment 71) :
Yeah actually that is more correct.
It’s amazing how each coach ends up being “kak and should be fired”
@KSA Shark © (Comment 72) : I ended up having a very public shouting match with one of the Pretoria massive on Wednesday night… here in the UK on training. Starts going on about “the coach is a idiot”…. amazing how the fickle masses just lap that nonsense up.
Don’t want to be a South African idiot
One nation controlled by the media
@robdylan (Comment 73) :
It is SOOOOOOOOOO much easier to jump on a bandwagon than to be one of those not on it.
The guy has won six on the trot and yet they find something new to bitch about.
@robdylan (Comment 73) :
He who shouts loudest…..
@KSA Shark © (Comment 75) : exactly. And this guy wasn’t even a dutchman!
Morning peoples
@robdylan (Comment 76) : edjukate me pleeze – but what is a dutchman?
@robdylan (Comment 73) : Who are the Pretoria massive? Boys High?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 75) : Div’s been doing alotta shouting recently….
Div: I won’t change
Well then dont expect the reaction to change.
@Salmonoid (Comment 77) : a South African of low intelligence and high loquacity…
Some, but not all, are first-language Afrikaans speakers from Pretoria. This does not mean, of course, that all FLASPs are dutchmen… quite the contrary. The dutchman mindset actually transcends the boundaries of ethnicity, origin and language.
So the chap I spoke to is disqualified from the status since I know that he is actually quite intelligent.
It’s Official (look at the poll) : Div is calling Elvis..
@Prof. Ice (Comment 82) : I always thought of PdV as a small, but seems he must be a medium…
@VinChainSaw (Comment 80) : Agreed.
@Prof. Ice (Comment 82) : at least nobody is voting for Matfield
@McLovin (Comment 83) :
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!