De Villiers hits out at media negativity

SPRINGBOKS coach Peter de Villiers yesterday accused sections of the British and Irish Lions travelling press of trying to whip up unnecessary controversy during the current tour.

As de Villiers prepares for the third Test at Ellis Park tomorrow, he steadfastly refused to countenance a change of style to his management despite stumbling repeatedly into controversy over the last few weeks.

He insisted: “If I do that I change Peter de Villiers, and I would have to go back to God and tell him he made a bad job (of me) and I can’t do that. I will be the best person that I can be. I allowed some of the negative media from Britain (to happen); they did it in 1974, they did it in 1980 and I allowed it again in 2009. What a stupid bugger I am. I learned that if they can’t beat you anywhere else they will still try to show their superiority any way they can to make them feel good. It’s a thing from years back, so I won’t change myself; what I want to do is just keep my feet on the ground, be humble and be a good servant of this game.”