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Gary Boshoff

Give De Villiers credit

2009-06-29 16:14

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Sport24 columnist Gary Boshoff (File)

Gary Boshoff

Congratulations must first and foremost go to Peter de Villiers for leading his Springbok charges to a successful series win over the 2009 British and Irish Lions.

I congratulate De Villiers because I could not find one rugby writer over the weekend having the heart to acknowledge that as head coach of the Springboks he might just have had something to do with their success. All I could find was criticism of the coach and heaps of accolades for individual players who somehow managed to clinch the series for South Africa. The impression that is being created is that the Springboks won the series in spite of De Villiers.

Now I’m not one for conspiracy theories or biblical parables, but I cannot help but detect a tinge of disappointment among some of the rugby journalists at De Villiers's success as the Springbok coach. After this past weekend’s triumph his success rate moves up to played 15, won 11, lost 4 (a 73% success rate!).

It was supposed to have been the other way around as he is widely believed to be a “transformation appointment”. All of us want the Springboks to win, but it seems there are still some out there who cannot accept the idea that a black rugby coach has the knowledge and the brains to coach a Springbok side to victory.

Now I know that comments such as these always result in a barrage of insults in the readers response section of this column, but be that as it may, what must be said, must be said: unlike De Villiers I will not speak in parables, the fact is there are still many closet racists out there who remain intent on unleashing their baseless racist vitriol in a faceless cyberspace rather than speak their mind in the public domain. They use their laptops to destroy rather than construct inclusiveness around the Springboks and sport in general.

Over the past couple of weeks we have had to hear how De Villiers has been exposed as a fraud without any rugby nous because he supposedly send his substitutes on too early in the first Test; that according to faceless senior players, they (the players) pretend to listen to the coach at practice, but do their own thing on the field and furthermore, how De Villiers is winning with Jake White’s team and that he has done nothing special to deserve any accolades for the success of this team.

What a load of rubbish! These are all what I term baseless gossip, but which is eagerly used by those who wish to discredit the achievements of South Africa’s first ever black national rugby coach. It is indeed indicative of the serious nature of this kind of vindictiveness if one considers that these “attacks” on the national coach happens in the midst of a series win against the Lions – something every rugby enthusiast has been craving for, for 12 years. A sad indictment indeed.

Disturbing

Nevertheless, something even worse transpired in the early part of the Test on Saturday - the absurdly, blatant barbaric act of Schalk Burger (caught on camera eye-gouging Luke Fitzgerald). He should have been red-carded there and then. However, what is more disturbing, or should I say hilariously funny (please tell me De Villiers wasn’t serious) is that his coach believes that the yellow card was “a bit harsh” and that Schalk was “innocent”. How he can come to a conclusion like that boggles the mind. Peter, you cannot defend the undefendable, even if you build 60% of your gameplan around the man! If this is the way he repays you for your confidence in him then he needs to be led out to pasture to find his feet and his focus as he's clearly lost his way.

But enough of all the side-issues. Like the coaching team, the players deserve all the accolades they got for winning this all-important series against the Lions.

Dick Muir surely had a huge hand in the two carefully constructed moves that led to Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen’s tries. Tactical backline moves done at blistering speed and executed to precision – what a pleasure to watch!

It was fantastic to see the Springboks turn their poor second half performance in Durban around and turn the screws on the Lions in the second half knowing all too well that the thin highveld air would become a valuable ally in the end, which it certainly did. This team had a plan to win, they had intelligent leadership which made the right interventions at half-time and they had the character and composure to wrestle the Test away from the Lions.

On Saturday another historic landmark beckons for De Villiers if they can finish the Lions off at Coca-Cola Park. The Lions have always managed to either win or draw a Test in a series in South Africa. They have never been whitewashed before. De Villiers will know that the only emphatic way to answer his critics is to keep winning and breaking new ground. After Saturday, maybe, just maybe, he will get the recognition he deserves from all concerned.

Go Bokke!

Gary Boshoff is a former Saru player and well-known rugby administrator.

Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.

Your Comments

bounty7/6/2009 4:10 PM: sho! so good to read a sensible piece of journalism! i find all the retorts from the racists hysterical! all this: "im not a racist, i luff habana" and "div has just inherited a good side..."rubbish yawn... it is a simple fact, there are a lot of racist white south africans, whether they know it or not, who squirm with enjoyment when they see a black or coloured rugby player fail. you must read the blog on your more recent article! people saying how excited they were to see chilliboy struggle in his first scrum. rugby365 is even better! there nokwe gets called a stupid baboon. it's purely an insecurity thing, especially among poor whites and stupid whites. being racist makes them feel better about their sad lives. this is why they spend so much time and effort writing purely negative rubbish. sad really.

Ralph7/6/2009 2:04 PM: Thank you. Like you I am sick of the racists who cannot and will not see anything good in De Villiers. His giving a game to the entire squad was a stroke of genius and should have won him his teams loyalty if it wasnt already there. He does now know who needs more work before playing in the tri=nations. Please keep fighting those who and continue to destroy our rugby. For those who need reminding our past coaches and administrators have included the like of Louis (sorry DOCTOR) Luyt, and Rudolf Straeuli who surely is as close to an ament (ouens dit bedoel beinloos). Not forgetting Markgraaff. De Villiers could not match these clowns in 100 years!

Rod7/3/2009 5:47 PM: Thanx Gary.To all these poephols that do not understand what you trying to bring across.....I think it is time 4 PDV now to give this game back to them so...................................I CAN SCREAM EVEN LOUDER FOR THE AB'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dok17/2/2009 8:30 PM: For once we have a coach that stands up and defends not only the team, but also the player! We tend to moan that other coaches and teams bad mouth our nation players and teams and then we complain that no one defends them. I think the reason that Div is all of a sudden not good enough is due to the fact that the "affirmative action" coach has the potential to be one of the best coaches in SA. In more than some aspects he is already more successful than Jake. What makes him also more successful is the fact that he did not roll over and play dead as is required by our national coaches. Thanks DIV for sticking your neck out for our boys when our administrators and so called experts were to afraid and pap broekig to do it!

Tiger7/1/2009 7:11 PM: uh yes neil, except every time those voices are raised there flies accusations of incompetence/destroying the game/token appointments/etc etc. jake was criticised when the team wasnt performing that well yet here div's team is winning, and yet... incompetence/destroying the game/token appointments/etc etc

NeilA @ Fraud7/1/2009 2:58 PM: isnt the president of saru a black man, isnt the head of the sports commitee potfolio a black man, isnt the ANC a black dominated orginization? i could go on but i think you get the picture, or do i literally have to draw them for you?

fraud@NeilA7/1/2009 2:24 PM: Blacks don't even have a voice in SA rugby, so how could they have made a noise about Jake White?

SPRINGBOK FAN7/1/2009 12:58 PM: WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS GARY BOSHOFF??? "Gold said it was not himself or the coaching staff who deserved the credit, but John Smit and his team who had won despite occasions during the series where they had faced great adversity." See: http://www.supersport.com/rugby/article.aspx?id=306218&headline=Boks%20not%20getting%20enough%20credit%20-%20Gold

Anonymous User7/1/2009 11:11 AM: Thanks, Gary, you have finally made me change my opinion about Pdv. I always thought he deserved some credit, because of ugly statements by the public in general, made me feel for him. Now that you, Gary, had brought out some intelligent bloggers to finally make me switch my mind. I too, now believe that Pdv is an idiot. I was so against the bad remarks thrown at Pdv, but your article brought out some people speaking in a proper way how incompitant Pdv is (not in an ugly way, like most often do). I know now that a 73% win ratio, dispite it being great, is not good enough for this group of players. 90% will do, no less. I agree with many on this blog, that this is by far the best ever group of players to be in SA rugby. They should be number one, and by far. Now, finally some positive ideas. >>> Imagine Pdv selects Fourie on 13, M Steyn on 10 and Brussow on 6, with the rest of the squad the same. Together with that, have a nice press conference where he sounds professional. And win the final test by 20 plus<<< He can really silent his critics, and release himself of unneccesary pressure. Few people will moan then. Go Bokke!!! Come on Pdv, change yourself for the good, I really hope you can and do!!

Ricardo7/1/2009 10:06 AM: I just can't seem to understand WHITE so called South Africans if SA lost ANY MATCH against the Lions oh boy they would want the coach's head but since they won instead of saying well done no we must read all the krap that they have to say about the coach damm you make me sick why can't you take it that the South African rugby team has a BLACK coach. And to make matters worse they winning matches so you look for something negative to thrive on why can't you white people just celebrate a victory after all isn't thats what you want?? It's either that the white people in SA are either way confused or just plain racist and need a forum like to this to vent. I am PROUDLY South African and if ANY SA TEAM wins or loses i will always be there to support them because that's what a true supporter does.

NeilA @Mdeva7/1/2009 8:34 AM: i agree with you that there are some racist whites who want to see PDV fall, but what gets me is that it was so blatantly obvious that there were so many racist blacks who were trying to bring jake white down and we never heard anything from the likes of yourself or gary boshoff during those times..WHY?

NeilA @ Deon Daniels7/1/2009 8:25 AM: quite frankly the boks dont want losers like you supporting them anyway, so go and support your all black team and stick it

Sad7/1/2009 8:18 AM: Deon Daniels, ...Yes as long as PdV is the Bok-coach, I will also NOT support the Boks. If you want to see a sad case, look at bafana bafana...

Anonymous User7/1/2009 8:03 AM: Mr Boshoff, I enjoy your articles and your rugby knowledge but why must you bring racism into everything???

Credit7/1/2009 7:55 AM: Credit to PdV, ...Yes, ..he can talk a lot of nonsense..!!

Deon Daniels7/1/2009 5:58 AM: Because of the great didvide in SA rugby,whites thinking their God's gift to rugby and blacks still struggling to find our rightful place in SA rugby ,i have never supported and will never support SA rugby,period...Sad case SA rugby.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 10:45 PM: LOL it's so funny that the only people who are ever blamed of being racist is White people but the only people who actually talk about it is Black! Becuase lets face it, as whites we have moved on but now the blacks think they can blame apartheid and racism every time they get found out! Grow up and start taking responsibilty for your own actions! TO ALL BLACK AROUND SA!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous User6/30/2009 6:37 PM: Good stuff.Love PDV comments.No boring rehearsed speeches.You never know whats coming next.

Mdeva6/30/2009 5:54 PM: Hi Gary..firstly i'm black..Yes there are racist whites (not all) out there looking to bring down PVD. But he's not helping himself, would you agree? I feel ashamed as a black man when he talks nonsense during media briefings.. Yes the man can coach.\, yeas the man has passion, yes i WANT him to be given a chance. But he has to make sense when he speaks to the public. We (black and white) need to have confidence in the man tasked with handling the most prized sporting asset in the country. I have no problems with you highlighting positives other journalists choose to ignore. In fact well done, but if you want to call a spade a spade (as you make us believe you're such an individual) surely you have to write about PVD's shortfalls. Simply put I do not have confidence in him because of what he says in the media, i.e "i'm a God given talent..no coach in the world utters such rubbish

Zee6/30/2009 5:25 PM: Fully agree Gary - give credit where credit is due guys. Our coaches have done well. It seems like the only time certain people will be happy with our rugby is if PdV resigned, and judging by his on the field record so far, I find it very confusing that so few journalists and commentators had the good will to congratulate the guy. Jake White had some equally disturbing selections that came right in the end. He was given a chance, so why can't we do the same for Div. Go Boks!

Neil6/30/2009 5:03 PM: Firstly Givon, 7’s is a “new” sport! But Paul Treu is a brilliant coach, who was a very gifted player, especially in the 7’s arena, and thats where he made his niche! So to put Paul Treu and Pieter De Villiers in the same sentence is a complete and utter insult to Paul Treu! Paul Treu is well spoken, knows what he is about, knows what is needed to win in the international arena, partly from his own experience, and partly due to his coaching skills and ability! Paul Treu knows what / who / where / when to best utilise his players and hence he gets the results. He is approachable, friendly, has the ability to communicate with people, in particular the press! Do you see any resemblance in this to PDV??? If you do, you are blind, deaf and plain ignorant! Gary get off the soap box! Even you with your limited coaching knowledge could have worked with the current team and scraped through to a series win against the Lions! The difference being you would have been able to communicate with the team, as well as the public via the media! You are there to put into words what millions of others, black, white, coloured South Africans can see and hear, and with your platform as a former player and now reporter you should be putting the truth out there! Yes I agree, well done to the Boks for there series win! Is this because of PdV or in spite of him? Congratulate him? Yes if you have to! Fire him that is a must! He has embarrassed SA Rugby, The Springboks, as well as the paying public who pay to watch these young men play! If he was acting in ANY line of business, where he had conducted himself along these lines, with his veiled racist mutterings, inability to communicate openly, coherently and with transparency, he would have been removed from his post! Don’t you now through your column insult the rugby public of South Africa that would be a tragedy, as for the most part, you say it as it is! Which is why I, and many others read your columns, and if you were brutally honest, you would agree!

coach6/30/2009 4:56 PM: Yes, and while PdV is talking nonsense, ...the Boks are coaching themselves... Every-one can see thet the senior players are actually in control... John Smit, Victor Matfield, Juan Smith, Fourie du Preez, Juan de Villiers, .....Good bye PdV..!!

Idle_SA6/30/2009 4:42 PM: Its strange how an article such as this one creates so much uproar and banter - there are more serious things in life than rugby. Sad state the world finds itself in.

Tsambi6/30/2009 4:12 PM: To Gary You are a idiot man cant you see how much better this team can be? This coach if he can call himself that put the wrong ppl in the wrong posissions like in the first match then says racist thing (i am black) that woulnt help our country. you are a disgrace why you have been allow to even write on here is beyond me.

PSG6/30/2009 3:32 PM: I think that thanks should go to PDV for providing us with a tight, evenly-fought contest.Just a shame that any coach worth his salt would have taken a group of players like the Boks to a resounding series win. The man is a PR disaster with a big chip on his shoulder, and more importantly he tactically inept - In the first test he virtually handed the game back to the Lions with moronic substitutions. In the second test he selects out of form players or those returning from injury,leaving the S14 form players on the bench until it was nearly too late.If it wasn't for an injury to JDV, another out of form player, and the generosity of BOD (who was not content to just smash his own prop's cheekbone) taking himself and Danie Roussouw out the game, we might never have got Jacques Fourie and Brussow on the field in time to make a difference. I could understand Gary lauding PDV if he was a B&I Lions supporter or journalist,but come on, it is pretty obvious that the Boks won despite PDV, not because of him..

Rob 6/30/2009 3:11 PM: I cannot believe what I see - people calling critics racist when every overseas article calls Div a moron - are they racist too? As to all the 'proud blacks' who suddely support Div - your convictions are pretty transparant - True or Chester would have done better.

givon6/30/2009 3:05 PM: media plays a major major role in perceptions out there...a huge role....and gary is right....i have not seen a single artical congratulaing the boks for winning..not even the BL wished them well done for winning a series...a series we lost in 1997......we had a undefeated tour of the UK last year..no one congratulated the team......now its all clear that PDV was a token appointment for the sake of transformation....im sorry but transformation does not occur in the face on such racist undertones still persisting in rugby....and who do i blame...irresponsible media reports....propganda sells...thats what media is all about...who sells the most papers...has the highest ratings.....and they know race in rugby is a very very big thing....and reading the comments posted i now understand luke watsons comments....and finally agree with him....my dad never played springbok coz he was black....he has a very good relationship with cheeky and knows him personally...half you dumbwits who label and crit the man dont even know the man on a personal level but you wanna be a character reference....pdv will nothing right in your eyes because his coloured....7's rugby o did you forget is run by a black man with alot black players...but 7's is not 15 man rugby...7's rugby is a new sport that has grown over the years.....its not indoctrinated into our schools since the 1940's......transformation is when a boy from khayalitsha makes the springbok team and not coming from bishops or paarl gym......look at your lavish white schools and the infrustructure they have....white sports such as rugby and cricket has had the lavish life of the previous goverment for over 60 years....its owned by the whites for the whites....thats springbook rubgy and the fulls who think they can change it because a black man gets appointed is short sighted.........for how long did we inlude 3-6 players of colour and all on the wing positions....breyten was a wing..chester was a wing....a black player in sa rugby needs to be thrice as good as a white player.....AD Jacobs you forget how he ran in sparkling tries again english ausies etc....his defence has been outstanding at times and yet no comment or congratulations on the improvement on his defence....i cannot support springbok rugby when a the minority fights to have complete rights to a national sport...you ask about quotas in soccer....has soccer ever had a lavish past as rugby and cricket...have you seen the conditions of fields and stadiu in our country.....have you gone to watch local football or are you afraid the black bunch of hoodlums will rape kill and destroy your family....compare grey bloom rugby facilities compare township schools soocer facilities.....and you want to compare soccer to cricket...no white player has even been excluded to national teams ever.....race was never an issue in soccer...never in the history...go and see how the white boys played for chiefs and pirates during the apartheid era.....we want to let go off the past but we cannot because the system has gone but its still entrenched in our lives forever....transformation will never take place if it does not take place in schools and the minds of the people in this country....why is it that its only white people waiting for this country to become the next zimbabwe....we have been awarded the world cup...if international audiences and folk abroad view us with such high asteem.why do we as south africans fail to do the same....well done boks well done pdv well done coaching team well done players....alll of you....i wish earl rose was a white player......the media would have nothing to write about.....and you think jake white won you the world....so why has pdv not won you the brittish lions series.....

Anonymous User6/30/2009 2:58 PM: Gary is right but you cant be right if you are a person of colour, the irony is that majority of viesw expressed here are by racists. They hide behind what will seem as reasonable but they are actually plotting the demise of the first black coach, maybe Div needs PR coaching, myabe he lacks eloquence, but he has a 73% record. I am patriotric but am offended by the typical Afrikaans stereo types that confront you when you go to loftus, Div's shortcomings are being exploited by a bunch of racist, that think it is ok to crucify those that are different to us and hide behind the guise of an intelectual debate

Richard6/30/2009 2:57 PM: While this is a good springbok side, the B&I Lions are not the anywhere near the side that toured 12 years ago, so while they have won the series and well done chaps, sorry Div just gets the thumbs down from me, and as far as Schalk is concerned, I don't think he should ever play for the boks again. That kind of behaviour should be left to the Richie Mcall and his kiwi,s

Richard6/30/2009 2:56 PM: While this is a good springbok side, the B&I Lions are not the anywhere near the side that toured 12 years ago, so while they have won the series and well done chaps, sorry Div just gets the thumbs down from me, and as far as Schalk is concerned, I don't think he should ever play for the boks again. That kind of behaviour should be left to the Richie Mcall and his kiwi,s

Richard6/30/2009 2:51 PM: While this is a good springbok side, the B&I Lions are not the anywhere near the side that toured 12 years ago, so while they have won the series and well done chaps, sorry Div just gets the thumbs down from, and as far as Schalk is concerned, I don't think he should ever play for the boks again. That kind of behaviour should be left to the Richie Mcall and his kiwi,s

Anonymous User6/30/2009 1:47 PM: Anonymous at 12:46 - you right, any coach would have taken the Boks to WC glory with the team Jake had built up over 4 years. Just look at it, even PdV is still reaping the benefits of what Jake did, and it is 2 years down the line. You clearly don't know your rugby so rather don't comment, you're just making a fool of yourself.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 1:41 PM: WHATEVER Gary. Div had as much to do with the boks winning as Ruan putting points on the board. The only thing positive about Div is his luck, but how long can luck last? Good luck to him when he tours for tri-nations, the OZ and NZ press are going to eat him for dinner. Again luck will play a part because it is doubtful that they will make any sense of his word salad. Lol. Wonder what Smit meant when he said tenacity won us the game….

Martus6/30/2009 1:20 PM: Couldn't have said it better myself. Keep it going, Peter, but think before you talk

Anonymous User6/30/2009 1:06 PM: Off the field, PDV is an embarrassment to South Africa.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 12:46 PM: Jake White won the world cup without facing any of the top teams in the world. ie NZ, AUS, France etc and a few months before the 07 WC LOST to NZ at HOME with the "World cup Winning team"!!!! We had the easiest path to the final possible. No one ever said that the team carried JAKE then ?!!?!?? He recieved all the credit and praise. Dont get me wrong he was brilliant but to say he coached SA to win the 07 WC after playing the teams that they did..."ANY COACH COULD HAVE DONE THAT"

James6/30/2009 11:20 AM: Having read Boshoff’s article and the one dealing with Treu’s award I need to take something off my chest. The difference between Treu and PdV is professionalism. I feel Treu has eyes for the prize at all times, whereas PdV allows himself to be sidetracked, an example being his pledge of support for the A.N.C. An individual is perfectly entitled to support whoever, nonetheless when you occupy the platform PdV does and you use it to voice your feelings on such a contentious issue, especially amongst the S.A. rugby fraternity, that is where he falls short. He may be a political appointee, so be it, but he does not need to continually remind the public why he is there, mechanic remark, and distance himself and the team he represents from supporters. A further difference, Treu went through a learning curve and is now reaping the rewards from lessons learned, better to grow as a sevens coach than a fifteens coach. PdV it seems is learning on the job, so to speak. He is coming to terms with issues that should have been ironed out during his growth phase; he should be at the pinnacle of his coaching career now! No doubt, the man has talent, otherwise he would not have got the job, amongst other reasons. I just feel he was rushed into it and only now do SARU and PdV realise the overwhelming task it is to be a coach for a country with such a monumental and proud rugby history. His saving grace is he has the players to cover him, whilst he is learning. Let’s hope he drops the dogmatism and gives caps to deserving players. Good luck to PdV.

Dave Smith6/30/2009 11:10 AM: Interesting article Gary. Personally, there's no doubt that PDV has received some of the most fiercest & brutal critism of any SA coach, even though he has a 73% strike rate (the best after Nick Mallet)! Now, any coach will always be criticised for his selection (nothing knew!), but when a coach does not deliver then he deserves the criticism and the brutal attacks. PDV has been delivering!!! So why all the moarning? Every victory is attributed to senior players, but who picks them? Some of the Bok tries I've seen under PDV, have been outstanding to say the least! Anyway, I find it funny that PDV is under pressure (and hated by the media) and yet he keeps delivering... I am not defending him for his lack of charisma with the press, but geez, there has been some serious racial remarks said about this coach and that's sad. Anyway, I'm originally from the UK and now a full blown BOK supporter and I tell you the racial connotations are so obvious in this country, I'm embarrassed! I really feel sorry for this guy...

Gus Brown6/30/2009 11:09 AM: Good on you Gary. Tell it as it is. As for Peter de Villiers’ public relation skills, no amount of skills development will change that. The man simply has his own unique and peculiar character as was again exposed by both South African as well as our sore- losing British rugby paparazzi. Get our PR specialist or even Muir/Gold to handle the media so Div can concentrate on rugby matters! On second thoughts, why? What will the media have to write about then? On Habana, a few weeks ago I wrote on this column that he could be a liability on his flat defence, anticipating the intercept. On Saturday he was exposed by going for an outrageous attempt at an intercept, when Jacobs clearly had Jones covered and he (Habana) should have covered Kearney, resulting in a try. Nevertheless, he followed his blunder up with a great try.

keith6/30/2009 11:08 AM: Respect is earned. P Divvy has a long way to go before he is respected.

mj6/30/2009 10:53 AM: The whiners can keep whining - we are moving with the movers. Let's whitewash the Lions and do well in the Trinations and we'll see what excuses will follow. When the team losses it's all De Villiers' fault and when we win it's the assistants and the players. What garbage! Viva Bokke - Viva TRUE supporters!

colin6/30/2009 10:42 AM: Screaming Beast during a rugby match does not automatically qualify you as not being a racist - so stop using that as an argument - I rather would like the response of some of the white users on this forum on the following question would you be OK if the Beast marries your sister, mother or daughter and will you invite the entire village to be a witness to it.

wally6/30/2009 10:30 AM: well done Gary on a great un-speculative, honest article!!... really tired of reading all your other collegues negative, unresearched,speculative biased personal opinions.. well done! well writen!!

Corné6/30/2009 10:27 AM: @ Riaan You make some valid points there... makes one think, thanks!

SPRINGBOK FAN6/30/2009 10:13 AM: Helium and Gary Boshoff is still living in the past (<1994). Off course we all expected this column by this clown Gary Boshoff. Gary, the only reason you are defending this absolute fool is because he is the same race as you. You are foolish and blind. Like you said, MAYBE PdV had something to do with the win, even you are not sure. Also TAKE NOTE FOOL that all the points were scored by the coaching of Muir and Montgomery!!!. Helium, I'm not blinded by you absolute total incompetence as a coach and human being. You are an embarrassment to this country and typical of how incompetence is being tolerated in SA just to get the numbers right. The horrendous fact is that PdV had lady luck on his side big time in winning those two games against teh BIL. PdV is lucky overall (only 2 out of six games won against Wallabies and All Blacks - piss poor) and should be axed. REASONS: 1. PdV persists in playing out of form players (Pienaar, Burger, Januarie, de Villiers, Jacobs), 2. PdV does not have a clue how to use substitutes effectively (first test), 3. PdV is blind to using the best players for the job (Brussow, Fourie, Olivier, M Steyn, Kirchner), 4. PdV is a racist (his white vs black mechanic story), 5. PdV is out of his depth talking to journalists (exposed again this Saturday with the Burger issue when John Smit had to save his butt), 6. PdV openly talks politics (his "I'm voting ANC" statement to appease his appointers), 7. The sex scandal last year has never been sorted out, 8. He's bringing in of religious analogies to the game is a disgrace ("I'm a God-given talent"), 9. His total disregard for the public who pays his salaries ("I don't listen to supporters", "I don't give a damn"), 10. The pure political aspect of his appointment (AA - Heyneke Meyer is a far better qualified for the job). All in all he is a disgrace to South Africa and the Springboks. HE did not win the Lions series, the players did. That is the difference, he is useless while the players are the ones calling the shots and saving his butt time and time again. Time to go HELIUM....please!!!!!!!!

Gerald6/30/2009 10:08 AM: To Gary and all the others on this forum that like to play the race card, why do us 'racist' whites not criticise Paul Treu? Its because he is a good coach and talks sense at his interviews. Oh, btw, the composition of the SA &'s team is predominantly made up of 'black' players (including the captain) and have you heard any of us 'racist' whities utter one word of criticism?

Riaan6/30/2009 9:42 AM: Gary good article but... Are you trying to help or make things worse? If you spent your time describing the good things the coach did and point out that yes he made mistakes but was fast to reverse them when he saw his error. No you asked for it by playing the race card. PDV has a solid track record as coach, for the junior bokke and real Bokke, everybody forgets this because you keep on pointing back to his race, you are part of the problem not the solution. PDV's problems is from SARU, when he was appointed it leaked immediately that the board did not want him (this will never happen in business). The board members that did not support his appointment is the problem. It is obvious for a 1 year old to see that he needs media support, but do they help him? Lastly, with Heineke as coach, do we really think that Derick Hougaard would have won the game for us on saturday? Good riddance, finally Morne Steyn can now be seen as the talent he really is. The springbok team has always been more dufficult to be left out than to get in. They start with the old team and only leave someone out if they feel that he will drop the team. So stop this nonsense about Ricky et al that are still in the team. Luckily our selectors dont forget as quickly as our supporters. On Earl the Pearl I think he is a poephol, but I had the same opinion of Percy as did many.

Wikus6/30/2009 9:16 AM: So what you're trying to say Gary is that every white person is a racist? Isn't that prejudice? Stereotyping like that? And isn't racism a form of prejudice? So could it be that YOU are in fact a racist Gary? You're so caught up in your own hatred that you only see what you want to see. Were whites racist when they criticized PdV for choosing Steyn ahead of Kirchner? Were they racist every time they chanted "BEASST!" all over the country(Even at Loftus, racist capitol of the world apparently). We have a team capable of dominating world rugby for years to come. Yet we won two narrow matches against an useless lions team. It's blatantly obvious that PdV doesn't know what he's doing. And saying so doesn't amount to racism. This is the last time I'll be reading any of your columns. If I wanted to read the racist rantings of some hate filled douche I would visit the KKK website(If they have one). Or maybe just hop on over to the ANC one.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 8:45 AM: Blah, blah, blah...here we go again. Cry me a river! This is so boring. Please try to see beyond your nose. Here are the facts. Based on merit, the following players DO NOT deserve to be in the squad, let alone the starting lineup: Ricky Januarie, Earl Rose and Adi Jacobs. We all know why Ricky and Earl are in the squad, but only PDV knows why Adi is in the 1st XV. Firstly, Mr Jacobs would never be able to score a try like Jacques Fourie did on Saturday. Secondly, on form, Wynand Olivier is way better than Adi, and the cherry on the top is that Adi has a shoulder injury. No wonder the B&I Lions cut up our midfield defence like a hot knife through butter! Jean de Villiers is a great player, but we can't expect him to make up for Adi's shortcomings. So, the point is that although we won the series, it was way too close for comfort. Theoretically, a Springbok team picked on merit would have hammered the Lions by much larger margins. So, don't whinge about the coach not being credited with the series win. PDV is a clown that says stupid things that embarasses South Africa and South African rugby. Reasonable human beings will be hard pressed to congratulate someone that is clearly a political pawn who's only achievement in the greater scheme of things was to inherit a great team with a solid leader in the form of John Smit. Please, give me a break!

Henk6/30/2009 8:45 AM: Are you guys who give the coach credit just idiots, or fell on your heads? The guy is the dumbest coach in world rugby. He got a team of champions, and they make decisions without him on the field. Guys who've been playing in 80 tests against the worlds' best, doesn't need a low-iq idiot to tell them where to run on a rugby field. They just do what they've been doing under Jake White all along. Give de Villiers the sole choice of team, and strategy, and ask the leadership on the field to do exactly what he wants, and he'll lose every test, even against Italy. Check last year's Tri-Nations. F*kcing idiot. I't s the same as saying a kid of 3 years old is a brilliant driver because a Merc he drove did not disintegrate when running off the road. The car's quality, the driver is an idiot.

colin6/30/2009 8:43 AM: @Brendon Faber - but this is not the impression the experts created before the Lions tour and during there warm-up matches - with players like Mike Phillips, ODriscil and Steven Jones in your team you should make the assumption that it is a quality team that is if you do know your rugby - before the series everyone thought that the Lions will maul us praised the Lions as being a quality team but now MR Faber wants makes an analogy that it is the Lions them that was weak and this is only base on the ideologies entrenched in him by his parents.

Costa6/30/2009 8:32 AM: Come on people.We are currently winning...... Do you clowns not realise that. When our team scores more points that the other team in the 80 minutes, it means that our team wins. But you clowns are never happy. We lose the cricket, you moan. We lose the soccer, you moan. We win the rugby.......... Come on #ss clowns. Rather be happy. And save your moaning about the rugby for when we lose. Well done bokke

Pedro6/30/2009 8:31 AM: I must agree with van Zyl, F. Steyn is not the best candidate for his position neither should M. Steyn start from the bench. In this regard PDV made a mistake. Otherwise he has done a pretty good job.

Warren6/30/2009 8:30 AM: Cool Gary, lets all settle for mediocrity and be happy with it. Glad you are not in my employ ... The time to look at ways to improve is when you are winning because when you are losing it's too late. We should have mauled this Lions side, but instead we scraped home. And now you want to praise the coach because he is black ...

spectator6/30/2009 8:30 AM: Credit?? Yip I hereby award Div the Darwin award for being the biggest idiot ever in SA rugby history...Gary....i see some specs on your glasses....how bout cleaning them sometime....

Anonymous User6/30/2009 8:29 AM: Gary - so every other journalist except you thinks the Boks won inspite of PdV, not because of him? And every other journalist, except you, secretly wants PdV to fail? I think you are wrong and that every other journalist, except you, calls a spade a spade. PdV is clueless and if it weren't for his assistants and the senior guys in the squad we would have lost the series. One example, the first test - it was John who insisted he got back on the field after the idiot PdV pulled off the captain and other senior players. If it weren't for John we would have lost. As for PdV, his grammar and complete stupidity at press conferences is an embarressment to all. Jake White would have been fired if he had made the mechanic, amongst others, comment because he was racist, but not PdV. Whether you like it or not PdV is a racist and I think the same about his coaching ability as I do about your writing ability.

Glen6/30/2009 8:28 AM: Hahaha, u tell them Gary. To Tim, Gavin and All other a** faces who run me down on news24 whenever I expose the racism in their limited lives, this is too u, dumb haters! U tell them Gary, if PdV wins the Tri-nations, World Cup to add to his Lions achievement and end of the year white washes of the British Unions last year, he will go down as the greatest coach ever. And to u whitties saying that he inherited a Jake White team let me enlighten u: Zane Kirchner, Heinrich Brussow, Jongi Nokwe, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Duane Vermuleun, Jean Deysel, Steven Sykes, O Ndungane, Adi Jacobs, Deon Stegman, Dawel Potgieter, Louis Ludik, Werner Kruger, Derrick Kuun, Brian Mujati, Luke Watson & Robet Eberhson are just some of the stars who are not products of Jake White and will lead our country to the 2011 RWC. Throw in John Smit, Fourie du Prez, Wynand Olivier, Jacque Fourie, Ryan Kankowski, Gurthro Steekamp, Bakkies Botha and Jannie du Plessis for more experinece and we have a winning formula. PdV will slowly phase out Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Victor Matfield among others. Watch and learn boytjies! And yes, im a proud darkie!

colin6/30/2009 8:16 AM: Closet racist that is what they are hiding behind there laptops - you are right Gary you do not see the vocal insults in the day to day interaction from whites in this country as they do know that there ideologies are racist - why did it take so long for us to hear from Gary B - is the white newsrooms of Media 24 silencing you as the editors of Media 24 are in the forefront of the negative propaganda campaign against PDV - thank Gary B for standing up and defending our coach - I for one respect you for that. 73% needs some degree of credit.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 7:57 AM: Come no Gary not in this series. We won it in spite of PDV. Not because of. Just about every rugby supported in this country can tell you that he disrupted the team in the first test. And even my 9 year old laaitie asked after 50 mins how come we don't put a guy on that can kick and one who can get the ball for us?

Corné6/30/2009 7:53 AM: Amen Steve Buys - VERY well put. Unfortunately there are still people that look at life through colour-tinged spectacles, but it's also not a good thing to generalise... For the most part, I think a lot of the current problems stem from the fact that our coach cannot put his ideas into words and get his message across effectively. Surely it's a good idea to coach him to be a bit more media savvy?

Justin 6/30/2009 7:53 AM: While the Boks appear to be very successful under PdV, I do believe that with him as coach they will not play to their full potential. I'm nor sure that PdV has a sufficient grasp of the modern game and he upsets the equilibrium of the side with unwarranted selections (Jacob's, Pienaar and Burger spring to mind). The crucial issue is whether the players respect him or not.

Walla136/30/2009 7:42 AM: Come on Gary .There are high school coaches that could have coach this very talented team with all the senior leaders to a win over the B/L. why no mention about Morne Steyn`s performance in your article. But you had to mention the blistering speed of Habana and Pietersen. Heyneke would have been a better coach by far and I think anybody that knows anything about rugby will agree , and this has got nothing to do with race.

Brandon Faber6/30/2009 7:41 AM: I don't think anyone wants Div to fail chief. I think people recognise the fact that this Lions touring squad is k**, plain and simple. These guys would not beat a full strength Super 14 side so let's not pretend that beating them is any great achievement. We should have whalloped them. They should have been embarrased and exposed for the flawed squad they are. Instead we struggled to beat them . Its like struggling to beat Scotland, you see? The Boks lack structure. Is that Peter's fault? Partly I'm sure. I think more outrageous the man's comments and refusal to accept that being Springbok coach is also about PR. I expect the Bok coach to be the example, not suffer from chronic foot in mouth disease. And that's about all. He'll learn... but he needs to learn fast.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 7:36 AM: Shame - Are there actually still people taking you seriously? Why don't you become the ANC Youth spokesman cause you are a bigger comic than most???

Nick van Zyl6/30/2009 7:01 AM: Please, Gary come on! PdV has access to the current world champion Springbok squad! A tour from any northern hemisphere squad should be a walk in the park - if you start with the right players. Jaque Fourie and Wynand Olivier were the absolute stand out centers in this year’s super 14 yet they are both on the bench so that a mediocre Adi Jacobs can ruin the SA backline? Francois Steyn was booed of his homefield by his own supporters during this year’s super 14 yet Zane Kirchner is at home watching the Springboks play on television. Morne Steyn was the top flyhalf by far in this year's Super 14 but Div considers him a "from the bench" player. Oh and lets try and forget that Earl Rose actually made the Springbok squad, will we. These Gary are facts. They have absolutely nothing to do with anybodies skin colour. You hurl your little statistics at us, Div having a 73% success rate. So what? Jake White won the Tri Nations in his first year! Div couldn't accomplish that with a world cup winning team! One last thing. People who post anonymously on your web page aren't cowards. Unlike yourself they are ot protected by the constitution, who grants freedom of speech only to those who shouts the party line. You really should learn that when a white person critisizes a black person, it is not racism, it is critisism. You are a hypocrate and a pathetic writer, who when people don't agree with you simply resort to SA journalists favourite label. I post on these forums alot. I always add my email address. Please, Gary go ahead and write me a mail. Tell me I'm a racist for saying Jake White was a better coach than Div. Tell me I'm a racist for saying Jaque Fourie is a better player than Adi Jacobs. But then again, given the hoards of posts you so correctly predicted, you will probably never read this email anyway...

black6/30/2009 6:41 AM: Good Grief Gary - talk about creative journalism! There is no doubt PDV was a transformation appointment, do you seriously expect anybody to believe PDV beat Jake White & Heyneke Meyer to the post on achievement alone? Come on you know better than that. PDV embarrasses himself every time he opens his mouth at a press conference and his desire to turn every hard rugby question into a racial argument is wearing thin. PDV is out of his depth and the “Boks did win despite him. But wait next year you may be writing a different tune when all the senior players have left to go overseas and PDV can no longer hide behind the momentum Jake White built.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 6:05 AM: Gary you just had to bring racism into the debate did you not? Why don't you arrange a venue where us "cyber commetators" can then meet with you and debate some of your artciles you have written? All I have too say is that PdV can do what he wants, label Bok supporters racists etc etc but his day lies in the future. Come 2010 he better not return to this country having not at least played in the World Cup Final. 2 years and counting Gary...we will see.....

Hein6/30/2009 5:56 AM: Dear G, You remind me of the following,: One day an old man that had to go to an interview left home a bit late. Halfway to his destination his wife got hold of him on his cell. She," lovie!, I just heard on the radio that there is a moron on the N1, heading up in the wrong side and stuffing up the traffic badly", Where-upon he replied," What do you mean there is one moron in the wrong lane? There are thousands of them"!!! You are in the wrong lane bud, old Div contributed nada, nothing, niks, except keeping his seat warm and he doesn't deserve anything when it comes to the Boks's win, it was just shear determination and some individual efforts that pulled them through. Show me the gameplan that was applied? Nothing!! We should've beaten these "bleekbene" with huge margins.

Anonymous User6/30/2009 5:17 AM: It is now 15 years that the White South Africans have been freed from the chains they put around themselves in the priors 50 years since 1994. One would think that they would have been liberated in their mind set and respect a fellow human being for his ability in this instance rugby knowledge, and not the color of his skin. Yes Gary your article is spot on and contrary to a minority on the ground and a majority who have the means of the Internet Access to their views of their negativity of PDV etc, shame on those people who cannot be freed by the chains of apartheid. A consolation to those who condemn PDV, if they analyze his roots they will find is of Afrikaner Huguenot stock. Monty Down Under.

Peter6/30/2009 4:51 AM: Bang on Gary - the claprtrap from the closet racists is what is embarrasing South Africa. Why is it that so many of them still creep for their old 'mother country' and curry its favour. De Villiers might not be a diplomat but his team is winning. 'Nuff said.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 10:22 PM: Wow!!! DO you believe this crap that you write.It is plain to see that PDV is out of his dept.His interviews are nothing short of a huge embarrassment.It has got nothing to do with colour but with class. He did not choose himself but at least the people in charge surrounded him with classy coaches(Muir,Gold). Please get someone else to do the interaction with the media .The whole world is laughing at us! Not even Pdv could have messed up the this team. When he became coach he received the best side in the world and over time his true colours will show!! Please acknowledge that he is a AA appointment so that he can be treated as all AA appointments are.He is being treated as a fully fledged coach while he is not!! It is not his vault.

Steve Buys6/29/2009 9:53 PM: Firstly, I think its a good article from Gary. The reality is that colour is an issue, sadly, for some people. It shouldnt be but it is. I think its good to talk about racism and be aware of it but its not good to play the race-card, which a lot of people tend to do, including Pieter and the media, not just the general public. In all my travels around the world, I truly belive that South Africa is one of the most open-minded and forward-thinking countries. We are a very diverse nation, which has its pro's and cons, but the experience gained over the years and the lessons we have learnt (and are learning) about integration and respect for our diversity, puts us in very good stead in global terms, but we need to keep ourselves focussed! OK, back to rugby... Granted, PDV has made some errors this series and taken some gambles and its easy for the couch-potatoes to point fingers. Regarding the substitions, I think PDV was possibly a bit arrogant but the fact, is that any player, or group of players, should be able to come into the game at any time and play a solid role. I dont believe there should ever be a 1st string group of players. They all train together as a squad and therefore should perform properly. If anyone is to blame, its the individual players that came on...its not like PDV put a scrum-half on at lock or something. They are all specialists and professionals in their positions. But, ultimately, what a lot of the cynics out there forget, is that just like a rugby squad and team, there is a coaching team, consisting of specialist coaches, so I really dont understand how PDV can be constantly blamed for everthing. Maybe Gary is right...maybe the constant grief that PDV gets IS racially motivated...I truly hope not though... Really looking forward to the Tri-Nations. If the boys can do it there, we will truly be the best team in the world. So far, so good. Cheers Steve

musclesza6/29/2009 9:31 PM: We had the best side in 1995 and we slowly slid down to 6th in the world. I think there are very few rugby fans who believe the WC winning side in 2007 is better than the current side. The current side are true champions and have played incredibly well to win. The B&I Lions side is strong, certainly stronger than I recall the last side. Time will tell if we winthe Tri-nations, but on current form it will be ours to lose... Well done to the coaching staff led by PDV

cc6/29/2009 9:31 PM: Congrats to the Coaching staff and the Springboks!!! Well done..

Mr.Z6/29/2009 9:29 PM: The international press have always attacked our rugby. We are the bad boys of world rugby as the english press consider it part of their job to demoralise the opposition. Once they discover that the coach is not popular amongst the rugby public (ie whites) they happily jump on the band wagon. They will happily crucify their own boys once the series is over, but for now they scent blood on PdV.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 9:26 PM: Finally someone out there is saying what is bothering me about our rugby. With the current coach the media seems to laud the players when they win and nail the coach. And when they loose it is all the coaches fault. Gary I am not a huge fan of most of your articles but I have to say this one is spot on the money. I often feel that it is particularly our supporters up north who thinks that this game is the exclusive domain of whites.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 9:20 PM: Great record PDV! Some ppl might argue that the 4 games he lost was against bigger unions, lets not forget that Kitch Christies more impressive record only has 1 game each against the bigger unions as well and those were on home ground in the 1995 wc. And New Zealand's game was still technically a draw and maybe the All Blacks should have played France in the final - let's not forget the try not give to France in the semi.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 9:14 PM: Gary, I agree fully with what you stated. Hardly any journalist is paying tribute to the fact that we've won the lions with the current players and coaching staff. Remember the in 1997 we lost the series against the lions and that was also 2 years after winning the world cup. At the time I read nothing about Carel having inherited a cup winning team and messing things up. Several facts remain. White would never having picked a fetcher. Only Kabamba Floors was ever really picked in his 30 man squad and brought onto the field once the games were wrapped up. The other facts are the PDV have already several recors under his bealt - Winning in New Zealand (White could not do this), winning Australia and England by record margins and now winning a lions series and probably a White wash. A good leader surrounds himself with even better staff and PDV is certainly a great motivator of people. A people's person and quite a character. He brings colour to the sport of rugby in more ways than one!

Jonathan 6/29/2009 8:50 PM: All this angst about colour and race! But seeing it has been started, I am a "white" South African. I was an officer in the then SADF. I say that De Villiers has a history of coaching well at junior level and the Springboks have a good record in terms of wins v losses with him as coach at this, the highest level. And at this level winning is the only criteria. Enough said. Credit to the coach, Peter De Villiers.

Jonathan 6/29/2009 8:39 PM: All this angst about colour and race! But seeing it has been started, I am a "white" South African. I was an officer in the then SADF. I say that De Villiers has a history of coaching well at junior level and the Springboks have a good record in terms of wins v losses with him as coach at this, the highest level. And at this level winning is the only criteria. Enough said. Credit to the coach, Peter De Villiers.

Jonathan 6/29/2009 8:36 PM: All this angst about colour and race! But seeing it has been started, I am a "white" South African. I was an officer in the then SADF. I say that De Villiers has a history of coaching well at junior level and the Springboks have a good record in terms of wins v losses with him as coach at this, the highest level. And at this level winning is the only criteria. Enough said. Credit to the coach, Peter De Villiers.

Stef6/29/2009 8:31 PM: Gary, your columns are becoming predictable. I don't know a single SA rugby fan who wants the team to lose. Of course there will always be racists but stop pretending/believing that this is a uniquely South African problem,and stop making as if this is a purely white affliction, racists can be any colour under the sun. As for Pieter de Villiers, give credit where it is due but also ask yourself, if he had been a white coach, what kind of column would you have written after our series win? Staunchly sticking up for someone who made some inexplicable rugby decisions and some very dubious racially charged comments and feeling justified because there "are racists" makes you no better than those racists .As for all the other journos, I have read all the "series reports" local and international and even if you wanted to argue that there is a conspiracy amongst SA journalists, how do you explain away the international press' complete lack of respect and dislike of the man?The fact that he is being condemned not only as lacking in the coaching department but as being ungracious in victory and as a bad ambassador for his country without any clue as to the importance of his role as a representative should make all of us worry.As for his comments on the eye gouging incident, Schalk Burger acted in the age old way of so many rugby players, they do stupid and inexcusable things on the field.He will have 8 weeks to find his way. But making out that the coach was sticking up for his player and that the comment is somehow an example of extreme loyalty is just stupid.Because even if you were right, doesn't it display a gross amount of naivety on the part of Pieter de Villiers at the least and at worst a dangerous inability to see the faults of your players? So come on Gary, you want us all to be colour blind, how about you trying it for yourself and viewing Pieter de Villiers without feeling you need to make allowances for all the racists out there. Treat him as you treated Jake White because surely you should be expecting the same things from him that you used to trumpet on about with Jake White?Fair is fair, no matter what your colour is, or at least it should be!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 8:15 PM: gary - your glasses, suffering from MYOPIA ?

Anonymous User6/29/2009 8:12 PM: I don't give a crap who is black, white or purple!! Bliksem mense, get on with your lives. Everything is done in colour in this country, get over it already. Helium is a racist bugger(maybe an ex mechanic who made too many mistakes??) who happens to be a reasonably good coach. Jake White was the WC coach but man, is he arrogant or what!! I have been at functions where he was the main speaker and did he get the knife in wrt other coaches, you bet he did. If Helium is such a crap coach, it will start to show itself sooner rather than later, right now, he is winning. Get rid of Matfield, he looks half asleep on the field. Get rid of Schalk, too many yellows. Get rid of Bismark, too many stupid decisions. Let Ruan find his feet. Adi(turnstile) Jacobs is not his old self, let him go. Tell Habana that falling dramatically is reserved for soccer, his game will automatically improve to greater heights than it already is. Let Beast rest, the moment was too big for him to repeat what he did the 1st test. Give Guthro a chance. Give Steyntjie a start. Give Brussouw one chance and he'll give the leeutjies carrots. Anyway, maybe Helium will be fired for his mechanic remarks and then we start this whole sorry process all over again.(SA Rugby has been known to fire successful coaches)

Anonymous User6/29/2009 7:33 PM: Gary the racists and pessemitic,ignorant people have no reply...Pieter is a bit of a charcater and like eveyone has his faults when he articulate,deals with the media and how he responds to unfair or sometimes fair comments(who give him no chance and dnt ever back him)like Jake he went through all the chanells as a teacher,coach,player,got his levels,learnt and gained experience...the public,the rugby world would like to know why a greater part of the SA media is not celebrating and writing about the Boks win...they rather like Gary said focus on a man who his passion is to coach for his country(everyone included).Why not hail the victory...ignorance amongst some is bliss,spiteful and a tad unfair...the irony is we rely on all media at times to be fair but most have really dissapointed in the way they have not acknowledge Pieter.such is life....

Hanno van Helsdingen6/29/2009 7:26 PM: PDV must just keep quite but he is a great coach. He made or backline play attractive rugby again and had the balls to choose a fetcher in Brussow...VIVA PDV... Jake was excellent but he ignored the fetcher and for that I rate PDV above him. PDV must just get a media liason. GO Bokke!!!! Many of you forget that PDV won the under 19 world cup with the boks... think again before you criticize ...

Anonymous User6/29/2009 7:25 PM: Being stupid has nothing to do with color. The fact that this man "inherited" one of the best teams in the world and cause so much chaos on and off the field should be proof enough that he is moron. Nuff said.

Eugene 6/29/2009 7:19 PM: Well, it is sad that people, rugby lovers for that matter still feel that Peter, based on His skin colour is not fit to coach the national rugby team! If Peter , because of His skin colour is not capable of coaching His team what do we have to say about the stormers coach!!!

Jakes6/29/2009 7:19 PM: Would love to be the fly on the wall when Gary and PdV have some lunch. Wonder what the main topic will be??? Ummm let me tink????

Eugene 6/29/2009 7:17 PM: Well, it is sad that people, rugby lovers for that matter still feel that Peter, based on His skin colour is not fit to coach the national rugby team! If Peter , because of His skin colour is not capable of coaching His team what do we have to say about the stormers coach!!!

Albert6/29/2009 6:57 PM: Pieter de Villiers' problems began when he was appointed as a result of a call from the Sport Committee in Parliament. The same type of meddling that is under scrutiny now wrt the SABC. When he selects players that are out of form - such as Adi Jacobs - leaving out a world class player such as Jaque Fourie - the question is: is this payback for that call from Parliament - or is it out of stupidity. At least the first alternative would make sense to some degree. Ultimately we've seen where the SABC went. Irrespective of the above - the record will show that the Boks have won an historic victory. The question is - because of De Villiers, or despite him. The books that will be written in years to come by Dick Muir and Co will enlighten us, no doubt.

Gerhard6/29/2009 6:49 PM: Good to hear the other side. Life told me there are always an other side. Gary, do you have any opinion about the racist story around the black and white mechanic? Nick Mallet got fired for much less than that, he had an opinion about rugby ticket prizes.

Craig6/29/2009 6:47 PM: Please can someone keep Div away from the press? Every time I think that he has given his worst press statement/interview session, he raises the bar and just totally embarrasses SA rugby and the whole of South Africa. That said I feel that you can only judge a coach on results and as much as I disagree with Divs appointment he has got the resuts so lets give him a fair shake…….But please keep his mouth shut!!!!

Walt6/29/2009 6:25 PM: The Boks won despite 'Helium Head', not because of him.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 6:11 PM: Gary, I can guarantee you that in real time you did not agree with many of PDV's run-on and substitute selections throughout both test matches. Of course in hindsight (that most accurate of attributors) you are now happy to stand and applaud the man. Muppet.

Mr.Z6/29/2009 6:11 PM: Well said, Gary and spot on. now of course there will be those who will simply write you off too as a quota journalist! Good to see though that there are some people that realise the unfairness being shown to PdV and see that he deserves to be supported, at least while his team is winning. The british press is on the other hand covering up for their losing team and coach while our media is lambasting our winning coach. It's just so sad for me as ex-pat living in Europe to see.

Grumpy6/29/2009 6:06 PM: I agree and dissagree. PDV should be congratulated on a fine win and I even agree with him defending Burger. He obviously does not believe Burger did it purposefully and defending his own player with surely endear him to the team. As for people criticising PDV, well welcome to coach of the Springboks. There has not been a coach in bok history that has not been severely criticised. It has nothing to do with colour and as much as I like PDV, I have to say he does lack to social etiquet of some of his predecessors. It is difficult to judge PDV. He's had some great results and some terrible results since becoming coach. He has also inherited arguably the most talented bok team in history. Even White would not get credit if he were in PDV's shoes, but unfortunitely that is something that come's with the job!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 6:03 PM: Guys, open your eyes. No.1 Div is not BLACK. No.2 He continuously makes bad decisions, Steyn, Brussouw and Fourie are clearly better players than his first choice players.. No.3 He talks utter rubbish everytime he opens his mouth. No.4 He has had no part in the 2 wins against the Lions (Even though he thinks so) The players won those games and now he thinks he's Gods gift to rugby. Come on man.....

goyougoothing6/29/2009 6:02 PM: Gary, spare me please. After Snor's latest outburst today, one can neither defend him nor still believe he isn't arrogant and out of touch. 'God's talent' - how the humble quickly turn. Secondly, show me any evidence that he has any nous at all. Any rugby supporter would have picked similar teams, bar the 3 benchers this week so there is nothing there. The only thing that he could have done was show in-game tactics, both times he has failed miserably.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:59 PM: The Springboks are a magnificent side. They are winning in spite of what De Villiers is doing and not because of what he is doing. He is a small man in every sense of the word.

Paul6/29/2009 5:56 PM: Garry, it would appear it is you,my friend, who are the racist. It is obvious to all but a few that Div has made very bad rugby decisions starting with selection and ending with substitutions. Then on top of that he compounds these basic errors with a stream of racist comments neatly mixed in with some unintelligble analogies along with utter drivel.The man is a laughing stock to overseas seasoned reporters and brings SA ito disrepute

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:52 PM: Jake white will always be remembered for being a great coach, however he did not have such a great success rate considering all the talent at his disposal, and the real coach that won us the World Cup was Eddie Jones, and no I am not Australian. Literally as Eddie left our backline went back to exactly the same stale rugby as before. I might not be a PDV fan, but our current coaching staff are producing the results. At least PDV has the balls to play Pienaar at flyhalf and Steyn at fullback.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:51 PM: Gary you are right about the critisism that PDV has received... I'm white and have to agree that the response to the great series victory have been unfairly overshadowed by this nonsense... Jake white made similar errors on and off the field yet if we won the game all was forgotten. The fact that the media and the public are so harsh on PDV will only make him more set in his ways... Give the man credit!!! FYI - Carl Du Plessis also had a bunch of the World Cup winning players in his team in 1997 and we all know what happened then...

Big boy red6/29/2009 5:49 PM: This article is such a great indicater of where our country is at... YES! There are still racist whites... but there will always be! YES! There are racist blacks... but there always will be... Yes there were no positives but lets face it... other than a lot of luck, and us winning... there isnt much to be happy about... I cant help but feel the dam wall will break any moment and we will lose matches we should be winning comfortably! (These lions test shud never have been a contest) **and its been proven a non contest when brussouw and King morne steyn played... PDV does boggle the mind... and i hate to break it to you my man... but the boks ARE winning DESPITE the (man we call a coach) the coach shud make the team look good.... not the other way around. Who gives a damn if we won.. it was expected. Problem is we should have won the first test by 20 points and the second test we should have done even better. The coach is rated on results yes... but also on team performance (Which at the moment is detrimentally being influenced by his shielded vision) It drives us rugby public..(Even my black friends.. and i have many) crazy... All these blatantly mindless decisions made on and off the field... Praising PDV for the boks victory is like saying "you did great" to a formula one driver who spun his car three times, due to driver error and "just winning" when he has a car that is 5 seconds a lap faster than the competition. That is just not good enough... u pick the best team... u coach them and u act professionaly.. (He has proven himself incapable of all three) Am i a racist? I dont care if we have 14 black guys, an indian fullback with a somalian coach and a southamerican physio... As long as the BOKS win...

Keith6/29/2009 5:49 PM: When looking at P Divvy's selections, it is clear that his problem is not race based quotas, but his faith in underperforming pet players. I think for PD to cry racism over the medias questioning of Ricky's selection and to then drop him is sending some very mixed signals. I also don't see where the racism is present when the selection of Rose or Steyn before Kirchener and Ruan before Morne is discussed. I think all performing players of colour have been given an unreserved thumbs up by one and all, as it should be. I really believe we could field an "all black" team without worry, if they were the 15 form players. By and large, we are all rugby fans who want our team to perform and we are more interested in form than colour.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:40 PM: The problem is that whenever PDV gets criticized and questioned about his selections he plays the Race card , look at previous Bok coaches and how much they were criticized for making dubious selections , i think this in itself is proof that there is no discrimination from the fans , they only want results , not excuses , the average fan out there knows the difference between a player who is on form and one that is not. If everybody kept quiet , to me that would be patronising , meaning nobody expected much of him , in that sense he is treated just like every Coach before him , no discrimination . Looks like Racism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

Charles6/29/2009 5:38 PM: Gary, plse tell me you are not serious !!! I'm willing to bet that you wrote this because you woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning ( just like PdV it appears ) and you needed a laugh which you knew you would get from the readers. At least, I hope this is so because I have never read such a load of drivel in my entire rugby-loving life !!! If you are serious plse do us all a favour and emigrate, preferably to a place where there is no rugby for you to comment on. At least that way you will no longer make an idiot of yourself.

Belloc6/29/2009 5:33 PM: All the evidence - PDV's naive tactics, dubious selections, poor use of substitutes, idiotic utterances - point to a severe lack of intelligence and integrity on the part of the little man. Why then should one arbitrarily choose to believe that the Boks won because of, and not in spite of, PDV's presence? You seem to argue that somehow we must believe the best of him because he happens to be the first black Bok coach, even though all the evidence points to the contrary. Clearly, your argument is motivated by ideology and not good sense. SARU acknowledged that he was appointed for reasons not connected with rugby, and nothing he has done since that appointment has disproved this notion.

Leon6/29/2009 5:26 PM: Finally, someone willing to give some credit to the coach. As to the basic errors "slg" is refering to. What are they, I think most will agree that relates to player selections, a) Does not start with a fetcher, BUT lets face it our previous coach did not even have a fetcher on the bench. b) Plays players out of position, ONLY Frans Steyn, which thus far have done nothing wrong, credit must go for selecting Ruan Pienaar last year (when there was no inform Morne Steyn) c) Bad timing in bringing on substitues, granted, but has admitted to mistake. Not the firts coach, of any experince calibre to do so. Only thing that PDV really sucks at is public speaking. If JW was stil the coach, I doubt if Brussouw or Morne Steyn would even have been in the team, and then we probably would have lost the lions tour! So, even if I would have prefered starting with MS, JF and HB, I think it is in bad taste some writers and the public have been slagging PDV.

Troy6/29/2009 5:25 PM: PDV is a fool and the Boks are winning despite his bad choices, not because of his good ones. Saturday was an excellent example fo mindless substitutions and a fair amount of personal little favourite rubbish coming through. Gary, you are also a bigotted idiot and I susoect mire than a little racist towards us whitey's because that's all you can fall back on.Do you honestly think we give a sh1t about the colour of the coach or anyone ftm? We want competence -that's all. You're the guys wo keep bringing up colour - not us.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:25 PM: LOL LOL LOL!!!! Gary, do us all a favour and keep your thoughs to yourself! You seem to know as little as Div!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:22 PM: Hear Hear Doug Hardy, Div took over a team that was great already, NO THANKS TO HIM!!! We should have destroyed the Lions but instead we JUST beat them. If there was a real coach at the top we would have humiliated the Lions. Thanks must go to John Smit who actually holds this team together. So please stop talking rubbush Gary, but then again maybe you are also a Quota writer so we will never be abel to get rid of you!!!!!!!

Dr Fil6/29/2009 5:21 PM: Tripe, Gary. nobody wants to see a Bok coach fail - irrespective of clour, creed or whatever YOU want to bring into it - because we do not want to see the Boks fail as a collective unit. I used to like Div when he coached boland but just as with players, there is a big difference between CC level, S14 and Test levels. Div has not been able to bridge that gap. Furthermore Div brings race into the equation - as do you - which is an insult to the players in question and to the rugby public. His selections are emotional and not on form - SB in place of Brussouw, Adi in place of J Fourie, Ricky in place of any3 others. The Bok team are the WORLD CHAMPIONS and should be winning 100% of their games against test playing nations and should have beaten the BL more convincingly. But all credit to the Boks for winning the series, now make it 3-0

Gerhard6/29/2009 5:19 PM: Ek is bly die Bokke het gewen. Pieter Div het sy foute, maar ons moet onthou dat niemand perfek is nie. Al wat ek wil weet, daar is tog ander keurders, plus die mede afrigters het seker ook insae ten opsigte van wie gekies word om te speel. Pieter Div kies tog nie alleen die span nie, of is ek nou verkeerd? So hoekom word Pieter alleen geblameer. Gee die man n kans en kom ons staan saam agter die Bok span!!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:18 PM: Hi Gary I feel we must really give the guy a fair go. He's got a plan there. And I think with the correct players available to him we should do well. But, we HAVE to keep him away from the press because he makes a fool of himself and the Bok every time he opens his mouth. Really!!!

Bruce6/29/2009 5:18 PM: Sadly racism is alive and well in our country. In most cases, not all, race groups band together to either support or ridicule the other, and when challanged we site our support of unquestionable stars, thinking that it will exonerate ourselves. Any critism of a player immediately invokes the race card.Fact is that South Africans are fanatic rugby supporters and do not tolerate a poor performance. We are not yet mature enough to accept this, or portray it, as playing the ball and not the man.

AndreS6/29/2009 5:17 PM: With a group of players like that anyone including my grandmother could have a 73% success rate. At this stage we can all see its the players carrying the coach. With a squad like that you should walk over teams like the lions, not scrape home. Thats what we are on about. Look down the years and you will see a lot of criticism for previous coaches who did not perform as they should and could have. So forget about the race card. If you want to be Springbok coach then you must take it like a man and prove people wrong. I've seen coaches fired for performing better then Div has. If he was white he would have been fired long ago.

Frank6/29/2009 5:05 PM: If and only IF the boks go out and thumb the Lions by 15 or more points will I congratulate P Divvy and the rest of the management team because this his the points difference between the correctly selected Springbok squad and the Lions. Anything less and we are mediocre. As for P Divvy's comments regarding Schalk he made them again this morning and then he tried his stand up comedian act by saying if we wanted to gouge a lions eye we will go into the bush to go and do it. As for Anon 4.28 Jake White left with an 80 odd % in his last year of coaching.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:02 PM: PDV is an idiot - yes, the team did win despite PDV. Gary, you are also an idiot.

TheGreenMan6/29/2009 5:02 PM: firstly @ Anon User 4:45pm. Mate, where you are wrong is that White took a largely unsuccessful team and made it sucessful with new players and combinations. Gary, I agree that Div does have a phenomenal win ratio, but I do still think it is in spite of himself. The problem is that you simply assume that I have that opinion because of the colour of his skin. How wrong you are! I thought the same of that idiot Strauli. What makes me think this about Div? The fact he makes dubious decisions that could very easily lose games if not for the Captain's leadership. Please don't always play the race card because not all us whities see things that way. I see him as a coach, nothing more. What I would be more interested to see is whether or not he has the capability to hang onto what is supposedly his winning formula once all the senior players depart. Believe it or not, I really hope he does manage it because a winning Bok side is great no matter who is in charge! A last comment. Could you at some point in one of your columns take the time to acknowledge that racism works both ways? because I certainly see pointless comments going the other way on these forums too.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 5:01 PM: Good article Gary. Judging by the responses thus far, your suspicion is being confirmed over and over. The fact that PdV speaks in 'parables' only means to challenge people to employ more of their grey matter. This is proving more difficult than expected. Seems Luke Watson had a point with his 'dutchmen' comment. Div isn't meant to coach rugby into any of the players he selects. He should only facilitate application of his rugby philosophy to a team he believes has has the ability to actualise it.

Pieter6/29/2009 4:57 PM: Firstly, we won 2-0!! Congrats to the Bokke and all the coaching team for a job well done! Give credit where credit is due. Yes, PDV has made some mistakes but so have every single coach before him. But he needs a media spokesperson to speak on his behalf. He is not a speaker!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:57 PM: WELL DONE PIETER!! Rugby is a sport that has the power to unite us all. We just beat the lions for G.. sakes! Jake took some time to get going as a coach too!! At this stage 75% is a great winning ratio. If we can stop pointing fingers and just get behind the team, we will be far better off. What would the majority of supporters in South Africa be saying if the new coach was white (not Jake) and had the same ratio?? would he be questioned in the same manner?? Lets stop looking for the colour in it all and just support the Bokke!!

Doug Hardy6/29/2009 4:56 PM: What a load of rubbish, I only had to read the first paragraph to realise that Gary comes from the same school as Div, and is a similarly equally balanced individual with a chip on both shoulders just like his incompetent compatriot. Lets face the facts, Jake White, together with Smith and a couple of the senior players, built the Bokke into the side the have today. All Div has done is retain the same combinations and add his pets from time to time, fortunately the team has been able to carry these players through some torrid times, this was evident when wholesale changes were made to a winning team with 20 minutes to go in the first Test. If it had not been for John Smith rescuing the lame ducks sent on we surely would have had our Asses kicked, thanks to Divs changes. Ricky January and Guthrou Steenkamp do not even belong in Provincial teams let alone a Test match. His selection policy in the second test is beyond belief, after picking Burger ahead of Broussou to start after having been out of form and match practice for months was suicide. Why he continues to select Jacobs ahead of Fourie is beyond belief and to bring him on for De Villiers for two weeks in a row and leave a man who is clearly suffering from a shoulder injury for the last three months. I could go on and on about the individuals Gary chooses to brush aside but I think my point is clear. Australia has a Kiwi Coach, Italy has a Saffer and the USA has an Irishman but RSA has a Quota system, of which the coach is the first selected, why don't you admit it. And you Gary are a Racist just like Div, go and write for the Zimbabwean press.

Gavin 6/29/2009 4:56 PM: Gary - you clearly don't attend many of PdV's press conferences! Although, like the "great man", you do appear to contradict yourself in your article ... In fairness to Div, his ultimate test is yet to come: like it or not, and regardless of who became Bok coach, this was always going to be seen as Jake White's team. Having retain the core of a team that was constructed over 5 years - and won a world cup - would make it difficult to avoid such a conclusion. Still, credit to Div (unlike Andre Markgraaff) to keep going with most of what worked in 2007. But, once Smit, Smith, Matfield, Botha, Du Preez, Pietersen, F Steyn, Habana and Burger decide to see out their careers overseas, and Div has to build from scratch, his true mettle as a coach will surely come through. As to how this will turn out remains to be seen, but it must be said that his continuing favouring of players like Rose, Jacobs and Januarie - who are blatantly off-form and below par - can only lead to the conclusion that it will be favouritism (dare I say, "racial bias"?) and not merit that will guide his selection policy in future. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, and that he proves all nay-sayers wrong, but Gary, racial bias is a two-edged sword. You'd do well to remember that.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:55 PM: Sorry Gary but this article is one big contradiction. You congratulate Pdiv in the first part and then state that his actions boggle your mind. I think the "closet racists" and the one-eyed Pdiv fans of SA should catch a lift with the Brit lions back to the little island for sore losers off the European coast. Brussow for president!

Willie D6/29/2009 4:55 PM: The fact that PDV is a "black" coach has nothing to do with the majority of rugby fans criticism of him. The only problem is the "foot-in- mouth" disease he obviously suffers from and from which, judging from our politicians, there is just no cure for.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:55 PM: Gary - I agree with you 100%. I cannot understand why some of us cannot see rugby as a unifying rather than a racially dividing sport. I can assure you that had the B&I Lions levelled the series none of the British media would have focussed on division lines in society or heaped excessive praise on individual players in place of commemerating the team (players and coaches) effort. If the Boks had lost the game by 3 points would PDV have got the same treatment the Lions coach is getting now - if this is what we do to a winning coach I can't imagine it. The great game of rugby belongs to us all. . I actually met PdV at the 2007 George 7's tournament (prior to being Springbok coach) - I attest to him being a humble gentleman. I can't imagine the players sacrificing their bodies the way ours do if they don't believe in the coach - they know it, he knows it and its time all of us accept it - this is our team, our coach our great country. Our sporting heroes make me proud to be a South African. Well done to PdV and the team

Tito6/29/2009 4:55 PM: Gary great article. However, I think that we need to agree that transformation had a lot to do with PdV's appointment and there is no need to apologise for it. The truth is that PdV will ever receive the recognition he deserves purely because he is Black, period.I feel exactly the same as you that these faceless players are rather cowardly Journalists with their own ulterior motives and agenda. Finally, PdV has to get the discipline (especially the unnecesary aggression from senior players) in the team right to maintain his win loss %, because it will cost us against NZ & AUS. Thanks for a good article though...GOOOO PdV!!!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:54 PM: Come on Gary, you are better than this. To suggest that the criticisms of Snor are racist, is an insult. It is an insult to the observant, knowledgable rugby fan. It is clear that Snor is out of his depth, it is clear that he has no clue regarding selections or gameplan. I have been to watch the Boks training on a number of occasions in the last few weeks, and Snor has ZERO input, he sits on the bench on the side of the field. Percy ran the backline session and Gary Gold and Smit and Matfield did all the forward work. This is definitely a team that won DESPITE Snor, and don't try and pull the race card now, cos that is a feeble attempt at denying the obvious. This team will be better off without him, they will go further. And if SA Rugby insist on keeping him, which they will, then at least get thim a spokesperson. They have to keep him cos they can't fire him, imagine the uproar then, they would have to have a good reason for firing a coach like questioning the prices of test tickets, and winning a World Cup, now those are valid SA Rugby reasons for firing a coach.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:53 PM: Well Gary... I do give De Villier's Credit, as you put it 73% is fantastic. The boks achieved a great series win. However, I'm pretty sure that Jake White would have picked a very similar squad barring one or two etc, the only difference is that journo's like you would have slated JW for the lack of transformation in the team... yet i do not hear that monster being shunted around in the press (NOT for quite some time now).. Yet when PdV came onto the scene he promised loads of running rugby and transformation... MY advise to you, report responsibly and let the boks ( & PDV) celebrate their victory and build a great squad. I have faith in the set-up and so should you.

Bill6/29/2009 4:51 PM: Anonymous User @ 4:28 "seeing a black coach succeed is painful" Utter garbage.........go to Loftus and see how traditionally racist supports love players like Habana and Chiliboy. The problem with PdV is that we almost lost both games, due to his selections. Picking players that have not played for months over inform players...Jacobs/DeVillers for Fourie, Burger for Brussow, Piennar for M Steyn. We nearly lost Durban - due to substitution nightmare, bringing on Rossouw for Brussouw, and had the Lions not had 4 key injuries we would mostly likley have lost in Pretoria. In fact he won it with zero time left....so it was very lucky.

like nooit hey6/29/2009 4:50 PM: Well written Mr Boshoff, i just read one of the best examples of the 'closet' folks you speak of....an article by tank lanning 'de villiers badly exposed'. Pathetic journalism to say the least... Congrats and thanks to the coaching staff and to the boks for making this weekend one of the best i've had in ages:-)

Mr Happy6/29/2009 4:47 PM: While I must agree that there has been some scathing criticism of late and that I am the first to 'construct inclusiveness around the Springboks' , Pieter de Villiers' obvious lack of tactical rugby nous (yes, obvious) and his devil may care attitude combined with his atrocious interview/presentation skills surely deserves all the criticism it receives. Don't you wish your column had come out well before his latest interview/outburst at montecasino!

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:45 PM: Could you enlighten me, Gary, whether it's any more or less racist to praise a man merely because he's black than to underestimate him for the same reason? FYI: His predecessor, white Jake White, was as lucky as De Villiers in having players at his disposal that any idiot could coach to glory.

Corniel6/29/2009 4:44 PM: Nicely said Gary. However i'd still like for him to be a little more circumspect in what he says (think Januarie comment - very close to being racist itself and should be given stern warning by Sarfu) and for him to reward both form and class (their names are Zane Kirchner, Heinrich Brussow and Jacques Fourie). Good sqaud should not be spoiled by the coach's inability to handle the media.

Alex6/29/2009 4:44 PM: For your information: Web forums are the only opportunities that we the poor and ignored rugby public have to voice our outrage to poor selections and substitutions I am tired of being called a racist just because I love rugby and can spot a poor coaching decision. why must race be brought into rugby?

witseun6/29/2009 4:43 PM: Gary, I agree with you. It really is getting ridiculous. When the team plays badly, its the coaches fault. But, when the teams plays well, its due to Dick Muir and Gary Gold. This nonsense must stop. People have to accept that PDV is a bit of an eccentric character, but he gets the job done. He has achieved what Carel Du Plessis couldn't do with a World Cup winning team and we should give him credit for that. If we win the Tri-nations, this Bok team will arguably become the best Bok team ever. Let the coach pick his favourites. That is afterall his job. If he fails, then grill him. But don't grill him as long as we are winning trophies. Komaan manne, nou moet ons saamtrek in dieselfde rigting!!

gbes6/29/2009 4:43 PM: What a pleasure to get a S.African reporter who is positive about the coach and the Boks winning ways.I know my racist friends will write hysterical vitriol soon,but I agree with your sentiments .Thanks Gary & thanks PdV & thanks ama Bokke.The overseas press are patriots covering up for their loser team while our non black reporters criticise a good win. Good heavens we must rejoice and toast a drink to the team & coaching staff ! Certain people just wants PdV removed for no other reason than his oratory skills.We love rugby and do our talking on the field.The British are a lot of cry babies.Viva Bokke viva.

gbes6/29/2009 4:43 PM: What a pleasure to get a S.African reporter who is positive about the coach and the Boks winning ways.I know my racist friends will write hysterical vitriol soon,but I agree with your sentiments .Thanks Gary & thanks PdV & thanks ama Bokke.The overseas press are patriots covering up for their loser team while our non black reporters criticise a good win. Good heavens we must rejoice and toast a drink to the team & coaching staff ! Certain people just wants PdV removed for no other reason than his oratory skills.We love rugby and do our talking on the field.The British are a lot of cry babies.Viva Bokke viva.

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:42 PM: Hi Gary, You forgot to expand on PdV success rate.He has crucially lost 4 games against the bigger unions-NZ and Australia whilst victories over minnows Italy and a depleted Wales side skews the picture a bit. Secondly, he inherited a vastly more confident and experienced team than Jake White did 4-5 years ago.

Nick6/29/2009 4:42 PM: Well written! Even though I am one of those that knows better than the coach and there are times I believe it as well, Peter de Villiers is the coach and he deserves the praise. I can tell you that if the Boks had a losing average we would be baying for Peter's head. The converse must therefore apply... let us congratulate him on his success thus far!!!!!

Alex6/29/2009 4:40 PM: For your information: Web forums are the only opportunities that we the poor and ignored rugby public have to voice our outrage to poor selections and substitutions I am tired of being called a racist just because I love rugby and can spot a poor coaching decision. why must race be brought into rugby?

Shakes6/29/2009 4:40 PM: Well said Gary, please send your article to your colleagues at News 24, Keo's lot and that idiot Gavin Rich. VIVA PDV VIVA! There can be no normal sport in our abnormal society. ALUTA CONTINUA!

Adri Smit6/29/2009 4:35 PM: Well done Div.You and your team make me a proud South African. Make it 3-0.GO BOKKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Terence6/29/2009 4:34 PM: Oh so now we the rugby watching public are racist when the coach is the one that always has to bring race into everything i.e talking about black and white mechanincs, is this man on drugs? what does that have to do with anything. I am entitled to form any opinion of any person i want to and according to me, PDV is merely a puppet in the Springbok success, the man has no communication skills, how does he coach a Springbok team.

isakd6/29/2009 4:33 PM: Agree PdV is good at this stage. look at the NZ team as well as the Aussies which we write of last year. A coach is as good as his group he coach. You need good mature talent. Look for the group of players leaving soon. I am realistic to say that SA rugby is heading towards a difficult period.

slg6/29/2009 4:31 PM: It's obvious to all knowledgeable rugby analysts the basic errors the coaching staff are making. This is not a negative judgement. The thing is that this low-level of learning on the job should be happening at provincial level, at most, not national with so much at stake. It's unfair to the coaches, the players, the supporters, and the country as a whole. Bottom line: a 75% winning ratio is mediocre with this group of players. Do we want mediocrity or true success?

Anonymous User6/29/2009 4:28 PM: Brilliant article, I searched the whole of South Africa and could not find a single article that credited the coach! Seeing a black coach succeed has been painful for some to say the least! South Africa is changing and the sooner the better. I also do not agree with some of PDV's selections (neither did I agree with some of J. White's, Viljoen's, etc...), but the critcism has been brutal, the worst seen for a coach with the second best record after Nick Marlet (and some think it's a coincidence)... Anyway, my point is, stop racism! They do it all the time in soccer, it's time for rugby in SA to change, and change fast!!!!

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Rugby dying in black schools

Jetlag claims another victim

The impact of jetlag could play a major role in deciding this year's Super 14 playoff contenders, writes Gary Boshoff.

Easy on the whistle

After three weeks of penalty after penalty, there have been calls for a more lenient approach at the breakdown, writes Gary Boshoff.

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Mark Gleeson

Sundowns in perpetual tumult

Colin Bryden

Warne’s great flight of fancy

Rob Houwing

Stormers must keep mojo

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RWC short straw

Blogger Scene and not herd has come to the realisation that the process behind the draw for the 2011 Rugby World Cup is desperately flawed and it has become frustratingly obvious that the world's better teams are not rewarded for excellence.

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Looking Good! 3/22/2010 10:49:30 AM

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