Springbok captain John Smit says that coach Peter de Villiers is largely misunderstood and speculative comments on his coaching ability “irritates the living daylights” out of him.
Smit, South Africa’s most illustrious rugby captain, stressed that De Villiers’ botched comments in the media does not mean he does not know what he is doing on the rugby field.
“People must understand that the vibe Peter gives out in the media is very different to the one we get from him as players,” the Bok captain explained in an interview with the Cape Argus.
“We understand that he makes a meal of every press conference and sometimes gives the press ammunition, and this is something he will work on, but in our Springbok camp he creates a happy and positive environment for the players.
“In the 15 months he has coached us, not one reporter has ever quoted a player, even anonymously, as saying ‘De Villiers does not know what he is doing’, and that is because the players enjoy him,” Smit said.
Smit also drew comparisons between De Villiers and World Cup-winning Bok coach Jake White and he suggested that the De Villiers is better than White in certain ways.
“He is very different to Jake White, but in some ways he is better…” Smit said
“Technically you will not get better than Jake but Peter has other very good attributes.”
Smit also scoffed at suggestions that he is holding the Springbok team together and not the coaching staff.
“It is nice that people think highly of me,” he laughs, “but I am just doing my job on the field as captain.
“It would be easy for me to say I am in charge of the team, but that is only the case on the field, where as captain I must keep the team headed in the right direction and playing according to plan.
“I don’t see how it is fair that the coach is criticised because the captain is doing his job.”
With the British and Irish Lions series wrapped up, the looming Tri-Nations has the Boks’ full attention and they find themselves tipped to win it.
“We are the favourites, I believe [according to the bookies], and we very much want to live up to that expectation. It is going to be one heck of a series.
“I think the Wallabies are going to be much better than people think, and the All Blacks will get their act together [they were not in good form in the June Tests] – they always do, especially with Richie McCaw now back from injury.”
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Smit also scoffed at suggestions that he is holding the Springbok team together and not the coaching staff.
Oh well, I suppose ‘I told you so’ just quite doesn’t do it does it?? 🙄
I sometimes wonder what we would do without this guy, but eventually someone, will want to get rid of him. Its inevitable, if we look at our History, Pienaar,Teichman, Vos etc.
@Whindy (Comment 2) : exactly. Tragic, innit?
@robdylan (Comment 3) :
‘innit’ 😯
I just read Voldy’s version of this article and he basically twists John’s words to make it seem as if the senior players are indeed running the team.
I read Mike Greenaway’s version on IOL as well as Rugby 365’s version and none refer to John as running the team. 🙄
“……where as captain I must keep the team headed in the right direction and playing according to plan.”
3rd test against the Lions ❓
We understand that he makes a meal of every press conference and sometimes gives the press ammunition, and this is something he will work on,<\i>
Well I guess that’s comforting.
@wpw (Comment 4) : Shocking innit? 🙄
“Technically you will not get better than Jake but Peter has other very good attributes.”<\i>
Morras. I’m sure you were there. Did he go into what those other attributes are? We already know media skills is not one of them.
test
test
@klempie (Comment 10) : Arggggh! 🙄 It’s Monday ok! 😳
@klempie (Comment 9) :
A management skill quite commonly used in business, but most notably by Robbie Deans himself. It is called self-actualisation, or in plain English, empowerment.
He empowers those around him which in turn empowers him and the team. He manages this process.
@klempie (Comment 7) :
Its almost as if the captain is instructing the coach to work on those skills. 😈
@Morné (Comment 12) : So he’s more of a manager than a coach per se?
@klempie (Comment 14) :
Read facilitator.
@Morné (Comment 15) : OK. PS. Just a word of advice. Empowerment could be construed as a political term which is a no-no on this site. Just be careful in future.
@klempie (Comment 16) :
Counter revolutionist!!!
@Salmonoid (Comment 13) : 😉
@Morné (Comment 17) : It’s counter revolutionary… 🙄 😛
@klempie (Comment 19) :
I like the ‘nists’.
It is more of an art to be one then.
Like a pianist.
You dont refer to them as pianoraries.
@Morné (Comment 20) : 😆
@Morné (Comment 20) : @klempie (Comment 21) : You 2 need Big Fish help to solve this English term mystery
@Charlie (Comment 22) : 😛
The wheels on the bus go round and round…round and round… 🙄
@blackshark (Comment 24) : ❓
@blackshark (Comment 24) : Oh. Revolutions. Gotcha. 😛
Friday it was Matfield, today Smit.
Any guesses on who they’ll roll out tomorrow?
@VinChainSaw (Comment 27) : if it’s Cheeky Watson, I’ll buy them a beer 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 28) : 😆
Smacks of SARU covering their behinds, Smit’s just towing the line. He might not create a bad vibe in the camp, but I still have serious doubts about Snor’s competence.
@MerckZ (Comment 30) :
Yeah that’s what I think – just because you are a people person, doesnt make you a good coach. Still I think Johnny is trying to make the best out of what he has got.
So John Smit, Victor Matfield, Adi Jacobs and Frans Steyn are all lying and they don’t actually rate the coach?? What a load of bollocks!!
@wpw (Comment 32) :
Hold on here. I dont think de Villiers is in any way a poor coach.
The man has good credentials and a wealth of experience.
I’ll go further than that and say he could possibly be a magnificent Super14 coach where he could craft a team and where helter skelter rugby has a place and there isnt such a media glare.
What I dont think though is that PdV is in anyway the right person for this team and test rugby in general.
Test rugby is very much more structured and the pressure is immense, especially being constantly in the media spotlight and one of the most high profile jobs in South Africa, some would argue THE highest profile job in the country.
I feel Peter de Villiers is not the right coach at this stage of his career and with him trying to play a brand of rugby that is possibly not quite right for this style of rugby, one that the Boks are currently very strong in.
I actually think PdV would do better with younger, possibly less rounded players whom he could teach vision and the detail that they dont have.
At Springbok level the players should already have that and the coach simply implements the tactics.
To compare to football, de Villiers would be the coahc working on skills and actuallu playing the game, not the manager implementing the strategy.
That’s all and a very good coach I certaily believe he is.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 33) :
Even further to this I reckon he’d be fantastic in Muir’s role.
Unfortunately that would (fairly) viewed as a demontion and I also find that unpalatable.
My lynch mob is growing. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA