I have been playing around with a lot of rugby thoughts since the end-of –year tour and after the British and Irish Lions Tour I thought it might be worthwhile to grab the keyboard and compile some of these thoughts in a blog post…
Am I saying that Coach De Villiers is mad? Most definitely not! I thought it might be best to discuss this by asking the obvious question:
What is a good Coach?
The time has long gone when a Coach was responsible for spotting talent, getting the players fit (conditioning), picking the team and the game plan etc…The Coach is much more of a manager where he has to manage a team of coaches including the forwards coach, backline coach, scrumming coach, kicking coach, defensive coach etc. The decisions on the pitch are taken to a large part by the captain whilst the replacement of players is decided by the Head Coach, with input from the Assistance Coaches.
A good Coach should have some other very important qualities – something which we can define as “people skills”. People skills should not be seen as his ability to “smooth talk” the media, but rather to unite a team with the elements of teamwork, loyalty, trust etc..
We, the spectators in the stadium, are unfortunately not privy to observe whether he succeeds in doing so, and would have to make our own conclusions from the bits of feedback from the players in media interviews and comments shared with friends and family. Only off the field and in one-on –one discussion with the players can these people skills be observed and would they be revealed…
It appears to me that the players are happy with the Coach – and it is clear from the recent tour that Coach De Villiers will stand by his players and is someone in whom they can trust not to pull them down ….
I would like to add a few of my thoughts in a short summary:
• It is true that De Villiers has the assistance of quality players coached by Jake White
• He has not discarded these players and they are an important part of the strategy and on-field performance.
• De Villiers needs to be complimented for continuing with these players and building trust and confidence in these players in a relatively short period of time.
• He is supported by a good coaching staff in Dick Muir and Gary Gold etc.
• De Villiers cannot be faulted much for team selections and no Springbok jerseys have been “given away” or new players thrown into the match team without a proven record.
• He erred in sending on too many replacements too early in the First Test against the British and Irish Lions – something which he acknowledged as error on his part. I respect this confession and appreciate that he is willing to take the blame!
Why do I refer to “method in madness?”
I could not help but reflect on the interaction with the media during the British and Irish Lions Test Series. There was so much rubbish in the media and “strange statements” by the Springbok Coach that I paused for a while and asked myself the following question – What if there is method in this madness? What if this was done intentionally? Could it have been that Coach De Villiers wished to shift the media focus away from his players and coaching staff to allow them to concentrate on the game and their analysis of the opposition? What if he was willing to be ridiculed and taken apart as a sacrifice to the team and the objective of winning the series….!!
I love to support the “underdog” – the person or team who is not given much of a chance. Perhaps this is why I am also feeling a bit sorry for our Springbok Coach who follows into the huge steps left by Jake White. We have won the British and Irish Lions Test Series – something to keep close to our hearts for the next 12 years – but this is not why I am giving Coach De Villiers credit and a chance…
I have never shared a conversation with Coach De Villiers, but on Monday morning I witnessed something rather special…. I was at the Free State Stadium and I viewed Coach De Villiers taking part in the fitness session in his tracksuit…running a fitness drill along with Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha. Perhaps this left me with the thought that the Coach is a team player…not someone up in the clouds…but someone who is giving his best and who deserves a bit of recognition from the media!!
Also view:
[View more photos of the Springbok Media Session, Confederation Cup, Rugby and other Sport on Superimage Media!]