Adnaan Mohamed - Sport24's man on tour with the Boks

Hamilton - Springbok centre Jean de Villiers believes Bok coach Peter de Villiers deserves to be given all the credit for Springboks Tri-Nations triumph after they beat the All Blacks 32-29 at the Waikato stadium in Hamilton on Saturday.

De Villiers had to endure a lot of criticism about his ability as a coach by certain sectors of the media, but the Bok centre dispelled any doubts on Saturday about the crucial role Peter de Villiers played in keeping the side together especially when they were going through difficult times.

"I think Peter has been the right guy at the right time and he definitely has to take the credit for all our victories," Jea said.

"A lot has been said about his (De Villiers) coaching style, the coaching abilities of the management and the role of the senior players in the team. But I think we've got it spot on at this stage and it's working well for us as a team.

"We are getting the victories and Peter must take the credit for it. He has managed to keep the guys together and make it a successful team. A lot of the glory must go to him as well," said Jean.

Jean also emphasised the importance of  skipper John Smit's presence in the team.

"I think John Smit is the cornerstone of this team. He is the gel that keeps the team together.  He is not only a great leader and rugby player, but he is also extremely influential. We respect him for that. He is a fantastic guy not only on the field also off the field as well.

"He is always cool calm and collected and always says the right things at the right time and he has the ability to speak really well and that is what makes him such a good leader," added Jean.