After Springbok captain John Smit fell to his knees as his momentous 100th test match ended in misery, widely criticised Bok coach Peter de Villiers likened the dressing room to “a funeral.” This begs the question, how many dreams will die at the hands of a coach Australian media have called a “clown”?
After Springbok captain John Smit fell to his knees as his momentous 100th test match ended in misery, widely criticised Bok coach Peter de Villiers likened the dressing room to “a funeral.” This begs the question, how many dreams will die at the hands of a coach Australian media have called a “clown”?
Public perception suggests Smit is already among those fallen heroes, as users on SuperSport.co.za have labelled him as “dead wood”, a “has-been” and “a season or so past sell-by date”.
Others acknowledged his contribution: “My heart bleeds for John Smit, he has been a great captain and a true gentleman both on and off the field,” said John Finlayson, a user of the site. He added that Smit should retire soon.
"I counted seven times that the ball bounced and seven times it bounced back to the All Blacks," De Villiers said by way of explanation after the game.
"We never got the bounce of the ball once, so when it doesn't go your way it doesn't go your way." But De Villiers could hardly complain of bad luck when facing withering criticism in the foreign media, since he has only recently escaped a charge of misconduct after he suggested that his players had been victims of a refereeing conspiracy during the Tri-Nations tournament.
“The South African Rugby Union are bonkers if Peter de Villiers, the fake coach, remains in charge,” wrote Chris Rattue in the New Zealand Herald, “South Africa, with vast playing resources, is suffering for failing to take the job of national coach seriously enough.”
After four losses in a row, few disagree that the Springboks' predicament is getting serious and Bok supporters will be hoping the ‘clown coach’ has more tricks up his sleeve for Saturday’s clash against the Wallabies.
If De Villiers falls once more from the tightrope of public opinion, he may well take the confidence of the players down with him.
If that were to happen, South Africans may soon be eulogising their World Cup dream instead of our fallen leader, and the four years till England World Cup 2015 is a long time for the World Champions to have pie on their faces.
