Comment by Stephen Nell

It was a tough question to put to Peter de Villiers: Do you still believe you are the right man for the job given that South Africa have lost five of their six Tri-Nations games?

Yes, the media can sometimes be quite blunt, but have to take the bull by the horns. We can’t criticise and reflect on the performance of a Springbok coach if we’re not prepared to ask the difficult questions.

De Villiers’s answer was that he believes the structures are there to take South Africa to the World Cup and beyond.

Rugby fans are going to struggle to swallow that given what they have had to endure since last year’s European tour. South Africa have been in a downward spiral, while New Zealand and Australia have progressed.

De Villiers is not the only person that should take the blame. Not so long ago a number of critics said that his assistant coaches and senior players were really coaching the team.

Well, the portfolios of assistant coaches Gary Gold and Dick Muir are also not looking particularly good.

South Africa have conceded the mot tries in the history of the Tri-Nations and there is not much in the line of dynamic backline play.

It may also be that player empowerment has been taken too far in the Bok set-up.

De Villiers has the support of the players, but that does not mean much if it’s coming from the players he repeatedly picks in spite of poor performances. If that is the case, it comes down to a comfort zone that suits player and coach.

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) are now confronted with a tricky situation.

A degree of change is needed, but the extent thereof can only be determined once the situation has been properly assessed.

De Villiers still had the support of influential rugby bosses prior to Saturday’s Test, which the Wallabies won with a penalty at the death by Kurtley Beale.

If that kick has achieved something in favour of South African rugby, it’s that no-one will be able to hide from the fact that some difficult calls need to be made.

SARU’s reaction to De Villiers’s latest sensational comments has unfortunately not been strong enough. How many times will De Villiers still be spoken to?

For a coach to come out in support of someone accused of murdering a metro police officer is a flagrant breach of numerous clauses of SARU’s code of conduct.

South Africa are losing the battle off the field with comments like that and it places enormous pressure on the players and SARU’s staff.

De Villiers’s comments, coupled with last year’s armband-protest for Bakkies Botha, strengthens the perception that South African rugby lacks internal discipline.

The mix of De Villiers, Muir and Gold is also an uncomfortable one.

De Villiers and Gold’s relationship does not appear to be healthy, while the Lions’ Super 14 campaign put Muir’s rugby philosophy in perspective this year.

The reality is simply that the Bok team is playing far below its potential. Why can the most experienced Bok team in history not beat a much younger Wallaby side?

Not to mention the bizarre decisions to ask Irene van Dyk and Kurt Darren to hand over the Springbok jerseys to players.

Apart from Darren not fitting the profile, there is a serious ethical concern given that he is a business partner of De Villiers and Matfield.

And that’s the problem with Springbok rugby as things stand now. It’s a closed club that is not tolerant of renewal or accountability.

Like De Villiers himself said: Those that are not for them are against them.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that Bok rugby is regressing on the field.

It will be interesting to see whether SARU have the backbone to storm the laager*.

*Laager – a defensive encampment encircled by wagons.