A Div impersonator?

Friday 7 Oct 2011

France coach Marc Lievremont has seemed to be doing his best Peter de Villiers impression at the World Cup, with plenty of controversial quotes, but he has taken it to the next level this week by growing a moustache.

The French mentor’s media relations have been strange to say the least and he has stolen the limelight from his South African counterpart somewhat with a series of bizarre histrionics.

Before he arrived in New Zealand Lievremont knew that he would be looking for a new job after the tournament, and he has acted like a man under pressure – criticising his players publicly and storming out of press conferences.

By contrast, De Villiers has been far less controversial – a little bit of a dissapointment in some ways – with his most controversial view being that there has been a haka overkill in New Zealand which has led to the traditional Maori challenge losing some of its impact.

Lievremont’s charges became only the second team in World Cup history to make it throught to the quarterfinals after recording two losses in the pool stage (Fiji in 1987 are the only other team to do so) and he has cut a lone, surly figure for most of the tournament.

Therefore it would make sense that he aspires to be more like De Villiers, who must smile more than any other coach in world rugby, and the perfect place to start is by developing a bushy upper lip.

The story given by Lievremont is that the ‘tash (or snor, if we are to continue the De Villiers comparison) is the result of a bet with France defence coach David Ellis, and it seemed to improve his relationship with the press immediately with male and female members of the French media wearing fake moustaches to a press conference on Friday in solidarity.

Although Lievremont’s wafer thin moustache is nowhere near as full-bodied as De Villiers’ imposing ‘snor’, he must be given some credit for keeping a stiff upper lip in such tough times.

Members of the French media showing their support for Lievremont: A Div impersonator?

RWC quarterfinals by the numbers:

836: The number of caps in the South Africa starting line-up for their quarterfinal against Australia on Sunday – the most of any team in Test history.

20: Mils Muliaina will become the 20th player – and second All Black – to earn 100 Test caps when he lines up for New Zealand against Argentina on Sunday.

7: The number of points England’s Jonny Wilkinson needs to replace Dan Carter as the leading Test points scorer. New Zealand’s injured flyhalf is on 1,250 and Wilkinson is on 1,244 going into Saturday’s quarterfinal with France.