Divvie slams breakaway plans
DE VILLIERS: SUPER RUGBY IS THE WAY TO GO
Northern hemisphere competition is simply ‘too slow’.
Rudolph Jacobs
Any potential move up north to join the Pro14 would only serve as a motion to boost the self-esteem of the local Super Rugby franchises, believes colourful former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.
While Super Rugby governing body Sanzaar this week poured cold water over potential breakaway plans by stating that contractual issues will commit them to 2030, the persistent call for change is ongoing. Calls have been rife for a series exclusively featuring Australasian teams, while there has also been plenty of talk about the four local Super Rugby franchises joining the Cheetahs and Kings in the Pro14.
“I believe there should be no doubt that Super Rugby is good for our game and a move to join the Pro14 would only serve to boost our egos, and suppress our creative minds,” said De Villiers, who guided the Boks to Rugby Championship glory and a win over the British and Irish Lions in 2009.
“By comparison the Pro14 game is very slow. If you have a good look at their matches there’s always a situation of one pass, then a ruck, followed by a forward pass and then a scrum,” he said.
De Villiers believes one of the main reasons why South Africa only have three Super Rugby titles to show over 25 years - all courtesy of the Bulls – is because the local game can’t find the proper balance between creative attack and defence.
“One only needs to look when two local sides play one another on any given day. We all say ‘wow great game’, but then when we play teams from Australasia we are being exposed out wide,” he said.
“We are simply not creative enough to provide the space in the wider channels.”
Although they didn’t win the title between 2016 and 2018, De Villiers singled out the Lions as a prime example of where our game could have headed with proper progression.
“What the Lions did well was to have a sound setpiece. But they also realised the spaces are not around the tight phases,” he said.
“They utilised that very well by playing close to the advantage line, created quick possession and utilised the wider channels. For me they played a combination of traditional Blue Bulls and Western Province rugby.”
De Villiers said the habit of copying New Zealand rugby is a big mistake South African teams make.
“It’s no use getting high-profile coaches and they don’t know how to coach a creative mindset,” “New Zealand teams actually make the most mistakes, but they compensate through their clever kicking ability and getting possession back.”