Div's Bok race card
Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has had a somewhat hypocritical dig at the lack of black players currently in the Bok side.
The controversial coach, who is notorious for his emotional outbursts in the media, told Ballz Radio on Monday that the team is too white, which is turning black support against them.
"It's just the little things that bother me. We need to know in what country we do live. And at this moment we are turning a lot of black people against ourselves by making the team white and nobody will talk about these things but I just have to.
"And that is what… actually we're breaking up our country again" he claimed.
"We're turning all the black support against the Springboks. Wherever I go I hear people talking negative about the Springboks."
Significantly the Bok team that started the last Test against the All Blacks in Dunedin had three players of colour in the starting line-up – Tendai Mtawarira, Bryan Habana and Zane Kirchner – which is exactly the same number as De Villiers chose for the World Cup quarterfinal last year which was his last game in charge of the side.
However, the outspoken De Villiers is adamant that black players are being sidelined by current coach Heyneke Meyer and pointed to the injured Chiliboy Ralepelle as a prime example.
"There are a lot of players like Chiliboy Ralepelle (who is also injured). He was the one guy who can make that 10 per cent difference that you need from a replacement to come onto the field.
"We do have a lot of great [black] players who can make a difference. You have Gio Aplon – here in Cape Town – who can make a hell of a difference. You've got Juan de Jongh, an exciting player who can make a difference.
"We never played (Siya) Kolisi – who's now injured, he was never given a chance," said De Villiers, who is director of rugby at the University of the Western Cape.
The comments come as the latest in a long line of controversial statements from De Villiers, and are sure to stir up debate, particularly given the seemingly hypocritical nature of the claims.
