Former Springboks Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger and Robbie Fleck have hit out at Tupou Vaa’i’s excessive celebrations during the recent clash at Eden Park.
The All Blacks second-rower was slammed on social media by former South African-born England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, who called on head coach Scott Robertson to drop the lock.
KP slams Vaa’i
He believes that his antics are not in the spirit of the game and only do harm to the All Blacks’ brand.
“I hope the All Blacks had their review of yesterday’s Test and the coach explained to their number 5, that celebrating a turnover like you’ve won the World Cup is embarrassing!” Pietersen wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.
“Leave that to other teams……..”
In another reply, he added: “I just hope your coach has the balls to tell your number 5 that it’s not an All Black trait to carry on like that.”
De Villiers, Burger and Fleck discussed Pietersen’s remarks and Vaa’i’s behaviour on the Boks Unpacked podcast.
Fleck, a former centre and who coached the Stormers and Western Province and now the Ikeys Tigers, said that the All Blacks’ celebrations were over the top and would not encourage his players to replicate those antics.
Meanwhile, Springboks legend Burger admitted that it would get under his skin with the trio going on to discuss some of the players who managed to annoy them most on the pitch during their playing careers.
‘It would get under my skin’
De Villiers asked Fleck and Burger what they made of Vaa’i’s celebrations and Pietersen’s remarks.
Fleck responded: “I felt it was over the top, to be honest. The behaviour, the celebrations, after every turnover or big hit. I know they are trying to jeer up their teammates and whatever, but it’s just a bit excessive. It’s not really what rugby is about. So, I agree with KP. Fair to put it out there.”
Burger: “We’ve seen it with other teams too, listen, I don’t mind them celebrating if someone scores a cracker, you go and give them a hug and a high five – lekker. If a Springbok makes a mistake, celebrating someone’s in your face like that would get under my skin big time.”
De Villiers added, “Is that not the idea though?”
Burger: “Sure. In that group, they will say that’s where they get energy from those kinds of celebrations.”
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Fleck: “Certainly, as a coach, I do not encourage that stuff. I actually discourage it. It takes the focus off the game. I think it’s unsportsmanlike. Celebrate your own stuff, no problem, but other people’s demise or mistakes, I don’t agree with.”
Burger: “I don’t think I had enough bandwidth to celebrate others’ mistakes. I wanted to smash them and then just crack on with the game. That’s what it’s all about. The sideshow was never my scene, but he’s not stopping it this week.”
Fleck: “There was zero reaction from the Springbok players, they just get on with their job.”
De Villiers: “Was it intentional from him or just the emotion of the match? ”
Fleck: “I’ve watched him quite a bit. He does it all the time. He’s just one of those players. Look at Will Jordan, he is not doing that, Richie McCaw never did that. But he is just that type of player that he is, and that’s how he gets up his own energy, and he feels he has an effect on his fellow players and the opposition, maybe.”
Burger: “If you’re a coach, unless it’s a culture thing that you think you are getting wrong, if it’s an individual, and that’s the way he goes about it, you’re not dropping him for the weekend.”
The trio moved on to discuss the players who got under their skin during their careers, and there was a common theme.
Fleck: “Mostly the Aussies, Justin Harrison, George Gregan, and Nathan Gray.”
Burger: “Sterling Mortlock is another, and there were a lot of Bulls players.”
Fleck: “Mainly the Aussies, but the same thing afterwards with the beers. Austin Healey, too. Justin Marshall was next level, but afterwards, an absolute legend.”