Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Peter De Villiers speaks out on Schalk Burger, rugby, and of course, ballet

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Peter De Villiers speaks out on Schalk Burger, rugby, and of course, ballet

Controversial Springbok coach Peter De Villiers has yet again come out with some puzzling views on the recent second Test in the British & Irish Lions series.

De Villiers, who often baffles journalists with his strange analogies and generally confusing approach to the media, came out saying that he didn't think the Schalk Burger eye-gouge incident was worthy of a sending off at all.

Yesterday in at a press conference in Johannesburg, De Villiers once again faced the media, and once again defended Burger, adament that his actions werent deliberate. He also went on to suggest that if you can't appreciate rugby as a contact sport, you should take up ballet.

"I'm telling you, I watched the TV footage and I'm not saying anything otherwise I will go against everything we decided as a team. I watched the TV footage and I am still convinced there was nothing that he did on purpose. For Schalk himself when he watched it, he was like: 'Oh my!'. But he never meant to go to anybody's eye," De Villiers stressed.

When asked if he thinks the Burger incident overshadowed a historic win, De Villiers lit up.

"You know what, 29 years we've waited for this grrrreat occasion. 29 years! And we are going into the third Test with the series sealed. We are the winners of the British and Irish Lions series, and we are happy about it. This country can now rejoice and be positive for the next twelve years. So I would love the Lions supporters to honour the fact that we won this thing.

"It was tough and the hardest Test series I have seen in a long time. We came back from a a poor start and I never thought we would be able to do that, because this is a brilliant Lions team that we are up against," he said.

Apology

Late on Monday he cleared up what he had said about the incident, apologising for the misconception and explaining that he made his comments based on what he knows of Burger the player, not on what occurred.

"It was never my intention to suggest that I condone foul play. That is the last thing I would ever do and I apologise for that impression," he said.

SARU president Oregan Hoskins made an official apology: "We would like to apologise to the rugby community for the erroneous impression that acts of foul play are in any way condoned by South African rugby."

Is PDV barking mad, or just misunderstood and really bad at working with the media?

Time: 02:28

I truly love this guy!

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 1:15 pm
he's a cretin

By redrazors, at June 30, 2009 1:18 pm
crazy fool, as if eye gouging is part of rugby

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 1:26 pm
This clown has been getting away with this stuff for ages.

Truly the George Bush Jnr of International Rugby.

And whats wrong with Ballet???

Takes alot of skill and tough hours on the dance floor to master!!

By Kenny, at June 30, 2009 1:30 pm
ok so the i gouging bit istoo far but there is softness creeping in to the game that no one wants and he does have a point . ireland fan

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 1:31 pm
ah...the puppet strikes again! LOL at this guy.

By eatdeez, at June 30, 2009 1:34 pm
That guy reminds me of a very sininiter murdoc from the a team....a screw or 2 loose up there

By Number7, at June 30, 2009 1:36 pm
he also looks like danny glover

By Kenny, at June 30, 2009 1:41 pm
an absolute waffler....
did'nt make any sense

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 1:54 pm
He reminds me of my indian friends, haha!

By Nick, at June 30, 2009 1:59 pm
clearly he has been told to apologise. everyone knows the kind of player burger is and that eye gouging is never an accident because at no point should you ever need to put your hands on a players face.

pdv is an idiot for saying what he said because he clearly was condoning malicious foul play there is no misunderstanding if you hear what he said and the tone of his voice.

By bonzai, at June 30, 2009 1:59 pm
Anon , are you on drugs?
"there is softness creeping in to the game" You must be thinking of GAA..

By ConnachtFan, at June 30, 2009 2:00 pm
All this crap about the game getting softer is simply wrong, it is getting more and more physical if anything, players are getting bigger and injuries more frequent,

But what people are trying to phase out is the kind of thuggish behaviour no one wants to see.

I play at a reasonable level and I can tell you it is physicall, it is tough, it is hard, but one thing I never want to come into the sport I love is eye gougeing, it's barbaric, wrong, and can never be condoned by anyone in that kind of position.

If indeed eye gougeing was something acceptable in rugby, as de villers suggested, then I can say now, rugby is not a sport I would continue to play.

There's no need for it, it serves no purpose, and the consequences of it going too far don't even bare thinking about.

So let me say, on behalf of all true rugby fans, players and supporters, we do not want this in our sport.

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 2:16 pm
"It's rugby, not ballet"

Someone tell Shane Williams that

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 2:27 pm
Gone surely. The SA rfu is hardly the most forgiving union in the world and that is probably amongst the stupidest things I've heard anyone associated with this game say.

Whatever "kind of player/man" Burger is is irrelevant. For that moment he deliberately worked a guys eye. He should be looking at a seasons ban adding more shame to that delivered on him by the red card he should have received. For the figure head of SA rugby to stand up and claim that Fitzgerald, Edwards et al (and he is saying that! He states that those who moan about eye gouging should pull on their ballet shoes) should don a Tutu after being subject to such disgusting behaviour is beyond ridiculous.

Gone, surely?

By Hackney Griffin, at June 30, 2009 2:27 pm
to defend burger is absurd, the evidence CLEARLY shows burger with his hands all over fitzgeralds face.

in fairness i think that the latter comments about ballet were aimed at the handling of the botha incident.

most people on here agreed that there was nothing wrong with the botha clearout therefore i think most would agree that the handling of it was a bit 'soft' of the citing commissioner

By Jack, at June 30, 2009 2:36 pm
PDV is an idiot

(this coming from a springbok supporter)

schalk deserves his punishment, and glad to hear he had to report to HQ after this interview to explain himself to the higher-ups in SA Rugby!

By Cheis, at June 30, 2009 2:37 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THIS GUY IS TOO FUNNY!
Unfortunately this is the typical kind of waffling on and saying nothing that i experience every day in Africa.. HAHAHAHAHA TIA everyone TIA (This Is Africa for those of you who dont know)

African

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 2:41 pm
he's in his very own world...

By Tom Hagen, at June 30, 2009 2:44 pm
Absolute twaddle, what a tit.

By cp85, at June 30, 2009 2:44 pm
hes possibly the biggest chump on earth. when he didnt get his own way in a meeting he said he was going to give rugby back to the whites. jake whites brought the springboks to their peak, now which PDV to his best to ruin it.

By caucau's no.1 fan, at June 30, 2009 3:18 pm
Im never heard anyone chat so much crap in the space of 3 minutes.

By rugbyazzuri, at June 30, 2009 3:18 pm
So, when do the citing commissions start banning coaches for perpetuating an environment where eye gouging is condoned? If the SARFU doesn't sanction PDV for his comments, shouldn't the IRB?

I'd like to see coaches held more to account for their players actions. Like fining them for incidents like this. Perhaps then the tone in training might change a wee bit.

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 3:21 pm
This guy is an embarrassing to South African rugby and all South-Africans...

He is only there becuase of BEE (black economic empowerment)

No good piece of $%#@

By Kabous, at June 30, 2009 3:29 pm
So he's effectively trying to say that eye gouging is a part of rugby?

What a disgrace to South African rugby, he should be sacked straight away.

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 3:33 pm
ive watched enough. the whole 1.00 that i watched that is.

this guy should really have people write for him at press conferences.

By bD, at June 30, 2009 3:33 pm
i hadn't seen interviews of de villiers
wow, this guy is curious, i don't know if he's a bit mad or a very bad communicant.

in general, i think rugby federations should work on their communications.

PS: Just look at Bastareaud affair: After FFR "omerta" and NZ Federation "barklings" bastareaud seemed to try to kill himself...

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/breves2009/20090629_152035_bastareaud-hospitalise.html

By Flooz, at June 30, 2009 3:36 pm
Look, the Boks won and congrats to them.

I am glad that Burger was not sent off in a way, because that would have tainted it if the Lions won.

To me the Burger incident, and tth result of the test series are 2 separate issues.

PDV has to understand tha there is a line between defending a player in a 50/50 call i.e. Botha...and defending the indefensible.

Perhaps I can help PDv. ...here is what you should ahev said:

"There is no place for eye gouging in this sport or putting your fingers near the eyes. I saw the video and I will leave it to the citing process to sort out. Thank you."

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 3:48 pm
I think we know where Comical Ali from the Iraq War has gone...he is coaching the Boks.

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 3:49 pm
I cannot believe that Burger did this intentionally on the biggest stage in the rugby world- players know that almost everything will be observed and punished- it looked accidental to me...

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 4:46 pm
The silence from Burger is deafening.....

By ConnachtFan, at June 30, 2009 4:57 pm
he not such a bad guy.i rate he needs a translator.heard him speak in afrikaans the other day.everything he said made sense.after all english is his 2nd language

By Alain Weyers, at June 30, 2009 5:12 pm
It is a testimant to the quality of the Boks that they won with this clown in charge - I doubt the series would have been so close if Jake White was the boss still

Nick C (English Fan)

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 5:14 pm
Sorry - that should be "testament" - Spelling!!! (Doh)

Nick C

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 5:15 pm
i agree wit sum things hes says such aqs the collision, but i ant agree withg eye gouging being a part of rugby. Oh yeh and btw is he South african or Indian i cnt tell!

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 5:31 pm
from the accent obviously im not sure.

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 5:31 pm
Oh sweet Lord

This guy is nuts , Eric Cantonna made more sense.

One thing is clear anyway , he is only a token coloured coach and the real decisions are being nade elsewhere

There is no way SA would have won the series if he was solely in charge of the team

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 6:12 pm
For what its worth

Burger should have received an immediate red card. As a player he has to be admired but acts like this are pure stupidity. He should have also got a longer ban than that imposed.

Botha was unluky , it looks like a fair hard challenge and his sanction should be recinded

The O Driscoll challenge which resulted in his own concussion is far worse than that of Botha

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 6:15 pm
cuckoo cuckoo

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 6:39 pm
Anonymous: I think you are the first person to point out the illegal tackle from O Driscoll which resulted in him and Rossouw being concussed.

What Burger did was disgraceful and yes he should have received a longer ban.

Even though I think PDV is an idiot the guy does have a point, rugby is a contact sport. Bakkies is banned for 2 weeks, ridiculous. Why has the citing committee not said or done anything regarding the reckless challenge of O Driscoll?

Also, nobody from the Lions Management congratulated the Springbok coaching team and I think that is pathetic. All everyone is going on about is the Burger incident. F..CK me its not like the Lions would have won the match had he not put his finger in the guy’s eye! In fact the Lions scored 10 points during the time he was in the bin. Get over it!

By Jot, at June 30, 2009 6:42 pm
"He is only there becuase of BEE (black economic empowerment)"

But he isn't black...

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 6:43 pm
he looks like apu from the simpsons , I mean cant you just picture him saying : thankyou come again?? ahahahahha

By jacobo, at June 30, 2009 6:46 pm
I once respected him for always speaking his mind, like calling the ABs cheaters, not many coaches would do that. I used to think he was ballsy.
However, I'm starting to think he is maybe just a little bit stupid, and stays things that no other coach would be daft enough to say. I defo think he has "foot in mouth disease" he needs to get that checked.
I believe he doesnt do much as a coach either and Matfield and Smit do most of the work.

By dr, at June 30, 2009 6:55 pm
i had the same opnion as dr.
i understood every word there but as a sentence it makes abslutely no sense. also how can he defend burger by saying he was talking by how he knew the guy??? hes known as 'yellow card burger' ffs!!

By dj, at June 30, 2009 8:27 pm
Dude, he thinks eye-gouging is part of the 'contact sport'..

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 8:42 pm
PdV belongs on a muppets show. Well, I guess every sport needs a clown, a jester. Tough luck for the springboks that the fool is their coach, they deserved better, even if they are a bit thugish at times, I still love them

PdV to join the Victor Hugo Cardinali Circus' grand tour. There's your test series, pete

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 9:23 pm
Granda palhaço

By Tuga, at June 30, 2009 9:30 pm
I used to feel a bit sorry for this dope. Not anymore.

Imagine if Croft did that to Habana and Geech or Davies said that ?!!!!

By Third Centre, at June 30, 2009 10:18 pm
Clearly eye-gouging from Burger, can't understand why PDV is trying to defend it. Don't understand the reasoning behind Botha's citing (I love rugby but don't play it and am not well versed in all of the rules.

I know SA fans are saying BOD's tackle was illegal but I didn't think so (again I'm not sure). I'm Irish, and trying hard not to be biased here, but to me it kinda looks like he took on a guy who was physically larger than him and got blown back in the tackle before he could wrap his arms around Roussouw.

BOD is a pretty good tackler - I simply don't think he would NEED to resort to an illegal hit. Like, if you pause the video on 5:16 it looks like he's getting his arms around Roussouw and then just gets smacked backwards.

Can someone clarify this?

By Anonymous, at June 30, 2009 11:01 pm
Credit to the Springboks that they win with this coach in charge. It´s a shame this is the headcoach of one of the big rugby nations.

Seems the Springboks are still receiving benefit from Jake Whites coaching work and this can´t be f#cked up by this strange guy

By Jochen, at July 01, 2009 12:11 am
plank

By Anonymous, at July 01, 2009 12:26 am
what a lunatic

By Anonymous, at July 01, 2009 12:30 am
This guy is a true fruit cake. Absolute waffle. I have heard people who have been committed to mental asylums talking more sense than this.

He puts eye gouging and hard hits in the same bracket. Hard hits: good. Eye gouging: appalling.

No-one is asking for the game to be less physical. The Try Savers & Rib Breakers compilations are fantastic and a big, legally-executed, well-timed hit is as entertaining as a slick backs move resulting in a try.

Eye-gouging is, on the other hand, not a part of the game I want to be associated with. No place for it.

Re: citings...and I pin my colours to the mast as a Lions fan...
Berger should have got 6 months upwards, as should anyone who gouges.
Bakkies, shouldn't have been cited.
Sheridan should have been cited for that punch to the goolies.
BOD's tackle on Roussow was fine. He has his arms in the process of wrapping but they both get bounced away from the point of impact because it was an absolute car crash of a hit.

By Brighty, at July 01, 2009 12:34 am
He's a PR dreamboat alright. SA union will give him the boot the first chance they get, he's a liability. If they don't win the tri nations he will be sacked.

By Doyle, at July 01, 2009 12:43 am
"Speaking on what he knows of Schalk"?

That's a pretty poor cover up for a completely distorted view on a "contact sport".

Never do it deliberately? What the hell, so Burger just got his fingers stuck in Fitzgerald's eye and then decided the best thing to do was push them in further? He's stupid, but not that stupid.

He is just a thug, and he seems to have lost what little respect he already had from his countrymen.

By T, at July 01, 2009 1:37 am
he is an absolute dickhead.

and his apology saying that he did not attempt to condone eye gouging is total bullshit too. he clearly says that if we do dancing instead "there will be no eye gouging, no tackling". he equates eye gouging (a disgusting and inexcusable act) with tackling (a fundamental and integral part of our great game).

surely must lose his job, the south africans have a reputation for playing the game hard but fair, keeping this idiot at the helm of their sport will contradict this. must go.

By Patrick, Ireland, at July 01, 2009 1:40 am
If John Madden and Yogi Berra had a sperm baby, it would make twice as much sense as Pieter de Villiers

By cheyanqui, at July 01, 2009 1:41 am
agree with brighty too. botha shouldnt have been cited, clearing out the ruck, just unfortunate jones was crocked. but come on sheridans playful slap hardly merits a citing, now that would be softening up the game.

By Patrick, Ireland, at July 01, 2009 1:43 am
I mean, he can barely speak english... why not take classes or get a translator'?????

By Anonymous, at July 01, 2009 2:12 am
He's so out of his depth it's not even funny. The man's a fool.

By Will, at July 01, 2009 2:38 am
PDV...PDV...PDV. I'm an Irish boy, but Jesus Christ the man has NO idea what to say. Fair enough, I understand that he has been asked to speak on the behalf of the Springboks based on the incidents of last week... BUT... the bloke makes hardly any sense!!!

Which makes me wonder how the Springboks are so good (BRING BACK JAKE WHITE)

But obviously; in the words of Peter De Villiers: "Rugby is a contact sport....... so is dancing" blokes fuckt

By Anonymous, at July 01, 2009 3:14 am
the thing is, if you look at some of the huge hits throughout rugby where people really do get hurt, they are never cited, because they are not illegal.....now im not one who wants to see every little thing being cited, i mean i agree with PDV to an extent, but wit things that are potentially going to ruin lives and careers, (spear tackling, gouging, high tackles) etc i think ther is always a need for citing!!!

Yes rugby is a contact sport, people do get hurt, people break bones, but the point is if it happens within the rules then no one can complain!!! ....a point PDV seems to miss!

it was umm....Chris Czekay...(spelling?) of wales who broke his leg against australia, the guy who tackled him was not out to cause damage and i personally cannot see any welsh standing up and saying "its outrageous he broke Chris' leg" etc because it was an accident.....

now however bad you do or dont think burgers gouge was, if he had blinded Fitzgerald, or if parisse or anyone who gouges blinds someone, this suddenly makes things a lot more serious..... and i think PDV is seriously out of touch!

By No.7, at July 01, 2009 4:46 am
"Anonymous said...
"It's rugby, not ballet"

Someone tell Shane Williams that"

HAHAHA AWESOME!!!

p.s i agree i think BODs tackle wasmt intentionally bad, he connected heads, hence the concussion. if the boks fans think he should be cited then its up to them, but personally i think BOD went in for a hard tackle then couldnt wrap because he connected heads with a brick wall!

By No.7, at July 01, 2009 4:52 am
The man is a muppet. What a load of bullcrap.

By jono, at July 01, 2009 5:11 am
why is this guy coaching rugby?

By MeAgain, at July 01, 2009 8:17 am
Love how he has a mona about the Lions supporters not acknowledging they won.

I reckon he must be 90% of the posters on here :D

why dind't he just stand up and say
"BOKS 2- BIL 0 - how'd you like them apples?"

By goodNumer10, at July 01, 2009 8:39 am
To be fair, he has a bit of a point when it comes to moaning from NH supporters. I've heard lower pitched moans from a helicopter roater.

By jon, at July 01, 2009 9:24 am
total moron.. i bet he doesn't even coach the boks, wouldn't be surprised if he's just a puppet.

By David, at July 01, 2009 9:34 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8127785.stm

BOD talking about things!! great to hear from a legendary player!

By No.7, at July 01, 2009 3:12 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8127785.stm

¬_¬ that works....my previous attempt did not.......

By No.7, at July 01, 2009 3:16 pm
Mad as a Hatter

By Anonymous, at July 01, 2009 3:45 pm
It does not look good. But to be fair. English is not his first langauge.

And for your information. PDV is what South Africans would call coloured. (Who at times are regarded as black depending on the intracacies of SA politics).

Couloured is an umbrella term for people of Khoi, San, mixed race or Malaysian, Sri Lankan heritage. And what they usually have in common is that they speak Afrikaans.

Coloureds, because of their close association with Afrikaners tend to be rather into rugby. Hence Habana, Pietersen, Januarie are all coloureds.

By Wessel, at July 01, 2009 3:51 pm
That's right guys, I am a complete jackass!

By Peter De Villiers, at July 01, 2009 3:53 pm
I could have cached the SA'S to victory with their team. This guy is a complete moon. And an embarassment to SA rugby. get rid of him!!!

By Anonymous, at July 01, 2009 4:34 pm
haha what a clueless idiot. maybe he should take up dancing. just shows that burger didnt have a defence case im laughing at pdv because he doesnt have a clue about rugby!!!

By bilions, at July 01, 2009 9:12 pm
Hi all,

Eye gouging is unacceptable. Players in (European) Heineken Cup have been banned for months without real evidence of eye-gouging : Burger should get something like 6 months off - I know he'll get much less though.

I'd also like to put this into context. If eye-gouging has been an illegal, reprehensible part of rugby since it started -but present nonetheless- i must say that during all that happened over the summer tours, the Bastareaud episode seems much more important to me. Not only did a lie by a 20-year old rugby player take international proportions, but the player in question just tried to end his life because of the media pressure that followed it. I'm not defending the lie, all i'm saying is that this kind of changes in our favorite sport (media pressure, Prime Ministers exchanging public apologies, and the amount of money involved in the game) is in my opinion a much worse problem we have to face.

As angry as I was against Burger while watching the game, I must say I got a reality check when I heard young Bastareaud almost killed himself because of that yet-to-be-clarified incident. I'd rather concentrate on showing him my support than dissing Burger.

Sorry this has gone a bit off-topic,
A French rugby lover

By Unknown, at July 02, 2009 3:49 am
edit :
all i'm saying is that these changes in our favorite sport (media pressure, Prime Ministers exchanging public apologies, and the amount of money involved in the game) are in my opinion much worse problems we have to face.

('orry)

By Unknown, at July 02, 2009 3:54 am
What brighty said I agree 100%

By Eoghan, at July 02, 2009 11:57 am
Waaaaaaanker

By Anonymous, at July 02, 2009 6:29 pm
that bloke is such a thick twat

By Anonymous, at July 02, 2009 6:54 pm
crrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

By Anonymous, at July 02, 2009 9:26 pm
obviously PDV is going somewhere with this shit. Theres method to his madness, and the entire british media is chewing him out. Thats probably exactly what he wants, to avert attention from the game to come and the teams. So I'll say De Villiers is pretty smart, and the entire british media is retarded.

By Anonymous, at July 04, 2009 7:21 am
De Villiers is smart???? Anon above. Are you as crazy as PDV. British Media are chewing him out because the guys mental. Tell me you were being sarcastic.... and stick your name on your post.
PEACE

By Cheech, at July 04, 2009 1:14 pm
PDV is actually very smart. Just to smart for me. I can't understand him when he talks. I can't understand his tactics. I just can't get the man. He reminds me of my maths teacher at school.Bla-Bla nonsense!! PS Maybe the boks will perform better than me at maths.......

By Koos Bedasseld, at July 06, 2009 6:32 pm
vive le coq

By sportif, at July 06, 2009 8:52 pm
this guy is sick in the head

By Anonymous, at July 07, 2009 4:16 pm
schalk should be suspended for 6 weeks but rugby is a collision sport. and in a test series like the lions tour to sa there will be fights and will be heavey contact because it is such a tough test series.

By Anonymous, at July 12, 2009 4:54 pm
he is south african, NOT INDIAN. People keep saying he might be indian, and being indian myself, i hate it when people associate this retard with being indian.

By Anonymous, at October 23, 2009 2:54 pm