So,the secret is out. The man around whom the Springbok defensive line will revolve is apparently, if allegedly, a blood relation of the coach. At least that’s what Jean de Villiers told the leader of South Africa when they met at the Presidential Guest House yesterday.
Asked by President Jacob Zuma at a farewell function if he was family of Dawie de Villiers – the former Springbok and National Party MP – South Africa’s inside centre pointed at his coach, Peter de Villiers, and said: “No, I’m related to him.” Zuma has probably not giggled so much since that little meeting in Polokwane a few years ago.
It was a quintessential South African moment. The tall, blond, white guy from Paarl and the short, coloured man from Paarl, related via a sport and a jersey that was once the symbol of all that was white and wrong about South Africa. Four years ago Thabo Mbeki sent the Boks on their way to France and told them to let him take care of any political nonsense from back home. Yesterday afternoon Peter, he of the broader and colour-bar crossing De Villiers clan, said, with a small smile, that the president had told him the country was behind him, and if that wasn’t fact then the leader of the nation wasn’t speaking the truth.
The truth is that the Springboks will leave for Wellington on Thursday with the hopes of 50-million South Africans and the history of 1995 and 2007 on their shoulders. The importance and the significance of rugby to South Africa, its power to divide and unite, cannot be underestimated. The pressure of leading the team that has that power is intense.
De Villiers said the stark reality of it all only settled on him in a studio in Randburg last week.
“The reality (that he was off to the World Cup) only struck me last week Tuesday when we named the team. That’s when it hit me,” said De Villiers. “Now we can’t run away from the responsibilities anymore. So, no matter what you did, whether you beat the Lions or won the Tri-Nations, it counts for nothing. Everything is in place. We are were we want to be.”
Well, mostly where they want to be. Craig Roberts, the team doctor, said yesterday six players were running separately from the rest of the team as they looked after niggles and injuries. Pat Lambie (shoulder), Victor Matfield (hamstring), Ruan Pienaar (ankle), Frans Steyn (hamstring), De Villiers (groin) and Bakkies Botha (knee) took it easy during training yesterday. Schalk Burger, who was ruled out of the Tri-Nations with a thumb injury, though, is just about fully fit.
“We’re happy where we are with the players at the minute,” said Roberts. “The six won’t be running as part of the squad. It’s part of our build-up week with them in terms of getting over the injuries and niggles. This week there will be quite a bit of fitness work for the guys. We identified this week as one to step up aerobic work. We’re really happy with Schalk. Last week he did all the squad training, we just pulled him out of uncontrolled contact as a precaution. But he’s really done well. The plan is for when we get to New Zealand that he can do full contact and everything. We’re just holding him back, well, because we can.”
“Because they can,” laughed De Villiers. “You see what I have to deal with?”
This week will be an intense one for the Springboks, with sponsor functions and a massive fan’s farewell in Sandton on Thursday. Getting to the World Cup will come as a relief for De Villiers and the squad.
“As I said last week, we planned all these things, except for the injuries,” said De Villiers.
“The only thing we have to react to, is our injuries. Maybe playing one more game could have done the trick, but (the players) have had so much rugby this year. So, we may have to simulate some game-related stuff and then we’ll take it from there. On the medical and rugby side, we’re happy.” - The Star