Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who beat the British and Irish Lions 2-1 in the 2009 series, says the national team isn’t using Cheslin Kolbe to his full potential.
As coach Jacques Nienaber and his team gear up for Saturday’s first Lions Test at Cape Town Stadium, De Villiers admits in an interview with the Daily Mail that the Boks’ game plan, which he labels “very boring”, produces results.
He adds that while the Boks are world champions no-one will copy the, to paraphrase him, “suffocate and defend” style.
Coach Divvy says: “We normally say that honesty comes from children, and if you’re going to play that kind of rugby at schoolboy level I don’t think a lot of schoolboys will want to play the game.”
When asked about wing Kolbe, who is one of the best steppers in the game today, being the exception, he says: “Cheslin Kolbe is one of those individuals that comes around every 12 or 13 years. He’s somebody that children want to follow. A hero.
“But do you think he is in a team that creates enough opportunities for him to live out this greatness? Or does he have to wait for somebody who kicks the ball into his hands? I don’t think we use him to the best of his ability.”
The current Eastern Province Elephants coach also paints a bleak picture of rugby’s future in South Africa.
Using the Lions’ big wins over SA’s provincial teams as an example, he adds: “When this group of players we have retire, there could be a huge void. Sport in our schools is dead.”