Rugby
John Goliath, Special to ESPN 6y

Five reasons why Peter de Villiers will be a hit in Zimbabwe

Rugby

Peter de Villiers' unveiling as coach of Zimbabwe's national rugby team shows the Sables' intent to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in since 1991.

KweséESPN looks at five reasons why the former Springbok coach can guide Zimbabwe to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

The man comes with a massive pedigree ...

Why SA Rugby continues to sideline De Villiers is beyond comprehension. Yes, the charismatic coach has put his foot in his mouth on more than just the odd occasion, but his record speaks louder than any outlandish pun or statement.

In his first year in charge of the Boks in 2008, De Villiers' Springboks beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time in a decade, before achieving three successive victories over the New Zealanders on his way to the 2009 Tri-Nations title. Earlier in 2009, De Villiers' Boks also beat the British and Irish Lions 2-1.

He'll bring a lot of technical knowledge ...

Last year De Villiers published a rugby coaching manual that focuses on everything rugby, from the grassroots level to the international level. With only five months left to the Gold Cup, he should be able to figure out Zimbabwe's shortcomings and work on a proper strategy that will help to get the best out of his players.

De Villiers likes an open style of rugby, and empowers players to make their own decisions on the field. He will definitely sort out their technical shortcomings, as his main focus will probably be on the breakdown and the scrum.

His man-management is very good ...

De Villiers may have been a teacher in a previous life, but he certainly doesn't boss his players around with a cane in his hands. His style is a relaxed one, and he likes to interact with his players on an equal footing. Players such as John Smit and Victor Matfield praised De Villiers for his man-management, and the environment he created, in their autobiographies.

De Villiers should also be able to relate to Zimbabwe's players more than some other top coaches, because he has coached at the elite level, but has been in the trenches during his days as a scrumhalf for the non-racial rugby board during Apartheid. During that time he didn't have a lot of resources to work with, which will be echoed with cash-strapped Zimbabwe.

He was recently in the enemy's backyard ...

For the last couple of years De Villiers spent most of his time in Namibia working as a consultant, so he should have a great knowledge of the Namibian game, their strengths and weaknesses.

Namibia are the favourites to win the Rugby Africa Gold Cup and qualify directly for the World Cup. The second-placed side will play in the repechage tournament to try and qualify. One thing he will know is that Zimbabwe will have to match the Namibians upfront if they want to compete. But, traditionally, Zimbabwe have lots of pace to be a threat with ball in hand.

He will leave a legacy ...

The people who will be working under De Villiers are going to learn a lot from the former Bok coach's knowledge of the game. This can filter down to the junior teams and the Zimbabwe school system. If players coming out of schools are already technically savvy when they reach the junior national team structures, they will surely develop into top rugby players at the senior level.

Zimbabwe rugby is a sleeping giant, because their players have the physical attributes required. If they can become better technically, they could be tough to play against.

^ Back to Top ^