'We are making it a bit boring': Former Bok coach's gripe with current approach
Former Springboks head coach Peter de Villiers has offered his thoughts on who should play No 10 for South Africa heading into the World Cup but believes the big problem is in the midfield.
De Villiers was pleased to see Mannie Libbok join the squad alongside Damian Willemse as the two flyhalves for the final stretch of the season but said it doesn’t matter who starts as the Springboks ‘can’t attack much’ from the midfield.
He said no team will have a problem stopping the Springboks with the way they are using the backs currently, likening inside centre Damian De Allende to a blindside flanker.
“It depends on how they want to play for seven games who plays [at 10], although with those centres though I don’t think we can attack much,” De Villers told The Rugby Pod.
“The two [10s] that we have there now, Mannie and Damian, can take us a long way.
“What they do need is some exciting inside backs to get the best out of them.
“If Mannie plays at 10, I don’t think any team will have a problem to stop the Boks because the 12 next to him, won’t be able to catch up with him.
“De Allende, the big No 6.”
The former Boks coach elaborated on his position, explaining that he has nothing against De Allende but that a creative player should be in the position.
A large part of the Springboks current game has been to use De Allende as a direct ball carrier with little else which the former head coach believes is ‘killing the game’.
Against England the two midfielders, De Allende and centre Jesse Kreil, completed just two passes between them with one apiece.
“I don’t have anything against him personally. To me, your most creative players should be 9-10-12. That’s what the game was made of. We are making it a bit boring,” he said.
“And then, at times the people are watching the game and giving the accolades of man of the match to some of these guys, and to me they are killing the game.
“Because now they believe that what we do is right. There is so much room for us all to improve.
“If we are only going to get to a mindset to allow the players to think and to play.’
De Villiers, who coached the Springboks at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, believed that South Africa had a good chance to repeat due to the mindset developing from other nations.
He believed a low risk approach and too much focus on the Springboks has detracted from focusing on their own game.
“Nations are respecting other teams so much, we too are gaining much respect from all the other countries,” De Villiers said.
“People will come out against us playing not to lose, instead of their old mindset of ‘do everything to win’.
“And that might count in our favour. The fact that people are already thinking about how do we stop the kicking, how are going to do this, forget about those things.
“Ask how are they [South Africa] going to stop us [as opponents].
“It’s only New Zealand at this stage you can say, this is the way they play. All the other guys, you don’t know how they play rugby anymore.”
The big risk for South Africa from De Villiers perspective was the lack of depth in the Springboks who don’t have a quality second team.
When they did run out what many described as a ‘B’ team against Wales in the second test, they suffered a 13-12 defeat, while the South Africa ‘A’ side struggled on their recent European tour losing multiple games to club sides.
“To me, I think they [South Africa] have a very good chance to go back to the World Cup and do what they do best.
“The only thing for them that I’m aware of, and fear, is that they don’t have a second team.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments