Div still thinks Bryce 'cheated'
Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, in stark contrast to his players, still believes that New Zealand referee deliberately undermined his team in last year’s World Cup quarterfinal.
Bok vice-captain Victor Matfield, in an interview with this website, made it clear that he did not believe Lawrence cheated in the Boks’ 9-11 loss to Australia and said it was just a ‘bad day at the office’ for the Kiwi match official.
De Villiers, in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper launched his fiercest attack yet on Lawrence, who has been persona non grata in South Africa since that fateful day in Wellington in October last year.
In a candid interview with the Times he said he could not forgive the man who may well have cost him his job as Bok coach and again raised the subject of “match-fixing”.
Lawrence has since been removed from the IRB’s list for international matches and has not featured in any game involving South African teams in the first nine weeks of Super Rugby matches.
Reliving the dark hours of the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup loss in New Zealand last year, accusing Lawrence of being “cocky, arrogant and sly”.
“Bryce Lawrence makes, on average, six mistakes a game, which is a good average for a referee. In that game he made 48 mistakes, six of which were match-costing,” said De Villiers told the newspaper.
He steadfastly refuses to accept the apology the New Zealand referee offered afterwards.
“So, Bryce mumbled an apology to the world. This means nothing!
“Did he really apologise for exactly what he did? He needs to tell South Africa exactly what it is that he is apologising for.
“For match-fixing? For inefficiency? For what? How am I supposed to forgive him if I don’t know exactly what for?”
De Villiers believes he still has a role to play in the local game.
As this website reported last week he proposed to the South African Rugby Union that he mentor young players and club coaches.
He has yet to receive a response.
“I sent them the proposal about a week after Heyneke Meyer took over as Bok coach. I’m still waiting for an offer.”
“I feel a bit useless at the moment. Sitting back home and nobody shows interest in trying to draw from experience that I do have,” said De Villiers.
Despite his dismay, De Villiers has remained philosophical about his World Cup misery.
“Yes. I was very disappointed the day Australia beat us. But in a broader context, it was a rich experience and so much was learnt. The World Cup has never been just a two-month tournament. It is a four-year process.”
He added a trademark pearl of wisdom: “There were a couple of flat tyres, but never any major crashes.”
De Villiers also announced that his biography will soon hit stores.
De Villiers coached the national team from 2008-2011. His most notable achievements while coaching the Boks were a Tri-Nations trophy and a series victory over the British and Irish Lions in 2009.
