The riot police were needed outside Villa Park following Tuesday’s Birmingham derby. A poorly written opening paragraph would suggest they might be needed inside the same stadium come 4.45pm Saturday.
Pride comes before the fall. And after as it turns out. At an emotional Springbok gathering, embattled head coach Heyneke Meyer named his strongest possible team to face Samoa but it felt far more important than a sporting press conference.
It felt like the eve of war. And that’s never a time to demote proven generals so Jean de Villiers is not going the way of Gary Teichmann.
Not yet anyway.
Meyer called for the Rainbow Nation to unify behind the team, hoping to stem the bile that has flowed from public forums and the media since last Saturday’s jarring defeat to Japan in Brighton. He humbly asked his fellow South Africans to learn from this sobering experience by respecting other nations and each other.
“You know if we South Africans maybe back each other more South Africa will be a much better place with less hate and less violence and more love.
“I think sometimes we as South Africans don’t give respect to the rest of the world,” said an almost contrite Meyer in direct reference to the arrogant tag Springboks wear as a badge of honour.
September 24th is Heritage Day in South Africa. It was previously known as Shaka Day after the great Zulu king who united the clans.
Meyer is attempting to unite the English, Afrikaans and people of all colour behind a single sporting endeavour.
His words were an astounding contrast to the drip drab quotes in Ireland camp.
“First of all I’d just like to say we deserve all the criticism. It’s unacceptable for the Springboks, we are a proud nation and a proud team. It is just unacceptable.
“I also want to thank the real supporters, their support from South Africa has been immense, even if we don’t deserve it. I have never had more emails and text messages in my life. Even more than when we beat the All Blacks.
“As a coach I always believe if you lose a game it is the coach and captain who are criticised and obviously the coach deserves that. It was one of the most difficult decisions in my life to make. You are almost in a lose, lose situation. If you don’t pick your captain they say you should stick with him and if you do pick him they say you shouldn’t.
“I was part of the 1999 World Cup when Nick Mallet, who is a friend of mine, dropped Gary Teichmann [Springbok captain versus the 1997 Lions] just before the World Cup. It was the right thing but when we lost that World Cup people said we should have stuck with Gary.
“I thought about it. It is not an emotional decision; I thought about it long and hard. I came to the conclusion that it is a must win game and who are you going to back? I had a long chat with Jean and he just wants to serve South Africa. He said it doesn’t matter if he is not in the team, he can come from the bench or whatever. He just wants the country to win.
“I decided that if you go into a fight that you have to win, your whole career, your whole land, your country depends on, if I’m going into that fight I want to take a guy who has had six knee operations and come back. That’s had a knee injury and operation in his first game for South Africa when people said he would never play again. He came back and played a hundred games. He got injured again just before the World Cup when we had an 80 percent winning record with him as captain. Even the specialists said he won’t play again. He came back and proved them wrong. And then he broke his jaw and again people said it won’t be Jean’s year.
“I know he wants to play for South Africa. I know he is a fighter. And I know it is best for the team. It is not just about Jean, it’s what’s best for the team.
Meyer then said something that transcended this World Cup, that cut to the heart of a country embroiled in turmoil from its violent beginnings to modern strife: “You know if we South Africans maybe back each other more South Africa will be a much better place with less hate and less violence and more love. So, I am going to go with my captain. I got total confidence in him. If you go into a fight that you have to win I want to go in with a guy who knows how to fight, how to lead, how to win. He really wants to win because he hasn’t won the World Cup.”
De Villiers tore his bicep in the first match in 2007.
“The team backs him. I am going to go with Jean. I am happy with my decision.”
Meyer took the same stance on picking Fourie du Preez ahead of Ruan Pienaar despite the best scrumhalf in the world, four years ago, being injured these past three years.
“Fourie is a true general. He will dictate to the forwards, when to run, when to kick.”
Meyer also stood over the retention of Victor Matfield - noting his perfect lineout return against Japan and that the 38 year old made more tackles than any other player.
“If Jean doesn’t perform Jesse (Kriel) will come on, same goes for Victor with Lood (de Jager).”
Boys poised to remove the old men.
Bismarck du Plessis doesn’t make it but Adriaan Strauss and Saracens Schalk Brits are world class hookers.
“I said to Adriaan it is your 50th game and he said he doesn’t want to run in front. He doesn’t care about his 50th game, he just wants to win for South Africa. That’s the attitude we need.
“Usually when you say you are going to play for a player you usually lose. The team said they were playing for the coach before they lost to Argentina for the first time ever.
“We have to play for South Africa, not individuals.”
Willem Alberts isn’t fit to start so Schalk Burger and Franocis Louw join Duane Vermeulen in what remains an enormous backrow. The number eight has been injured for months but insisted on playing.
“If everyone has the mental attitude and desire Duane has to play for South Africa we probably won’t lose any games. The plan was to let him play 20 minutes and get him into the next game but he came forward and said ‘I don’t care what the doc says I am going to play on Saturday.
80 minutes if that what it takes to win.’
“It’s great to have him back. He’s a warrior. We need 23 warriors.”
Six of the starting XV were part of the Springbok squad that won the World Cup eight years ago - Matfield, Burger, JP Pietersen, du Preez, Bryan Habana and Jannie du Plessis.
“You have to be humble and play to our strengths. Since we moved away from the way South Africa play we haven’t been successful.
“We expect a very physical encounter.
This could be a busy outing for Wayne Barnes. The history of this fixture is smeared in blood. The stakes have never been so high for a Springbok coach or captain outside a Lions test series or World Cup final.
Rugby is life in South Africa but a highly emotional Meyer did sprinkle the conference with some humour.
“They say to win the World Cup you have to win seven games. I know it’s not the right time to joke but now we only have to win six games now.
“If we win six games there is a good chance we will win the World Cup.
“Being Springboks doesn’t give you a right to win,” he added. “We remember that. We had been warned that Japan would give us a hell of a tough game. We as South Africans have to respect the rest of the world.
“Having said that I do still think we can win the World Cup.”
Of course he does. He’s South African.
South Africa: Willie Le Roux; JP Pieterson, Jean de Villiers (capt), Damian De Allende, Bryan Habana; Handré Pollard, Fourie du Preez; Tendai Mtawarira, Adriaan Strauss, Jannie du Plessis; Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield (vice captain); Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen. Replacements: Schalk Brits, Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi, Ruan Pienaar, Pat Lambie, Jesse Kriel.
