Hopefully Ruan Pienaar has now silenced all his critics and detractors. He came through what some have called his “baptism of fire” as starting fly half with flying colours for the Springboks against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff las...
The doom prophets, including several well known, so-called “experts”, are at it again. In fact, they’ve been at it for almost two weeks – predicting disaster for the Springboks’ tour of the United Kingdom, which starts on Saturday.
And m...
After the Springboks’ overwhelming 53-8 victory over the Wallabies, the question must be asked: Why did it take so long? Why did they wait till their last match in the Tri-Nations competition to dish up such outstanding rugby and inflict the bigges...
Is Victor Matfield the right man to captain the Springboks? It was clear in the Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks at Newlands last week that he did not have the cool head required to lead his men in tight situations.
He failed to control his...
What is the purpose of the parliamentary sports portfolio committee of Butana Komphela and company? What does it achieve -- other than controversy from statements that regularly stir up a furore, normally with a racist flavour? It never refers to any...
If watching the Olympics means enjoying events that blow you away because of the sheer athleticism, immense control, strength and amazing agility exhibited by the participants, then don’t miss the synchronised swimming, particularly the team compet...
It looks like the entire controversy about that “catch” – or catch that never was – by AB de Villiers off Andrew Strauss in the second England-Proteas cricket Test at Headingley has now been swept under the carpet.
A week has passed since ...
“Fair is foul and foul is fair!”
So wrote Shakespeare in Macbeth four centuries ago, but frankly those words could very easily apply to the ongoing accusations and counter-accusations, whinging and bickering that has characterised the Tri-Nat...
Unless Peter de Villiers and the Springboks stop their whinging after losing against the All Blacks last Saturday and focus on playing rugby, they will experience more suffering at the House of Pain in Dunedin this weekend.
I have been a staunch S...
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers was quite right when he said his charges should first beat the All Blacks before they could truly feel like the rugby world champions.
But he has been accused by some blinkered South African supporters of undermi...
Poen de Villiers was a sports and news journalist for more than 30 years on daily publications including The Friend (Bloemfontein); Rand Daily Mail and The Citizen. This included 12 years as a sports journalist and sports editor at The Friend. He covered rugby, cricket, boxing, athletics and tennis. In 1976, he joined the now-defunct Rand Daily Mail as the rugby writer where, in addition to reporting on rugby events, he wrote a weekly column �In the Ruck with Poen de Villiers�.
After retiring, he revived this column for an online publication �Sports Gazette� � a labour of love brought out monthly (when possible) with photographer Wessel Oosthuizen (now also retired).
