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Jean de Villiers' three word response to 'best in the world' debate
By Josh Raisey
As enthralling as South Africa’s 1-1 series draw with Ireland was, it did not help much with the debate over who the best team in the world is.
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Bragging rights were up for grabs ahead of the two-match series, but with the spoils shared, little progress has been made in the battle between the top two ranked nations.
But for former Springbok Jean de Villiers, he has a simple response to settle the debate: “factually it’s us”.
“Is the debate opinion-based or factually-based?” the 2007 World Cup winner recently said on RugbyPass TV’s latest episode of Boks Office. “Because factually we’re ranked number one in the world and we’re world champions. So there’s no debate around that.”
While de Villiers threw cold, hard facts into the discussion, he went on to say that it is “impossible to say,” with more than just two teams vying for the mantle of being the best in the world.
Ireland secured victory in the second Test in Durban with a heroic late drop goal through Ciarán Frawley, which summed up how evenly matched the series was. This did lead de Villiers to question whether the best in the world debate should be settled by one kick.
“Does a drop kick define a team to be better or not? he added. “If he misses it are we then saying we are better? Because of one kick from one person.”
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Though Ireland, South Africa, the All Blacks and France have been the four teams battling for rankings supremacy over the past few years, the South African did say that England will soon be part of that conversation after a promising series in New Zealand.
“Can Ireland enter the debate to be the best team in the world? Yes they can,” the 109-cap Springbok said.
“But South Africa’s ranked number one in the world and they’re ranked world champions. Because South Africa’s also part of that debate, and France can also be part of that debate, and New Zealand can also be part of that debate, and the way that England are going in a couple of months they will enter that debate as well.”
Regardless of who is deemed the best in the world among fans, Schalk Burger added that the conversation alone shows what a good place international rugby currently is in.
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“I think world rugby is in a good place when we’re having these conversations,” he said.
“Instead of having one team run out in front, we’ve got four teams that we think on any day can get over the line.”