Former Springboks Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger and Robbie Fleck have hit out at Tupou Vaa\u2019i\u2019s excessive celebrations during the recent clash at Eden Park.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
KP slams Vaa\u2019i<\/p>\n
He believes that his antics are not in the spirit of the game and only do harm to the All Blacks\u2019 brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope the All Blacks<\/a> had their review of yesterday\u2019s Test and the coach explained to their number 5, that celebrating a turnover like you\u2019ve won the World Cup is embarrassing!\u201d Pietersen wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave that to other teams\u2026\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n In another reply, he added: \u201cI just hope your coach has the balls to tell your number 5 that it\u2019s not an All Black trait to carry on like that.\u201d<\/p>\n De Villiers, Burger<\/a> and Fleck discussed Pietersen\u2019s remarks and Vaa\u2019i\u2019s<\/a> behaviour on the Boks Unpacked podcast.<\/p>\n Fleck, a former centre and who coached the Stormers and Western Province and now the Ikeys Tigers, said that the All Blacks\u2019 celebrations were over the top and would not encourage his players to replicate those antics.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Springboks<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n \u2018Utter nonsense\u2019 \u2013 Ex-England cricketer hopes Scott Robertson has the \u2018balls\u2019 to stop All Blacks star\u2019s \u2019embarrassing\u2019 behaviour<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018It would get under my skin\u2019<\/p>\n De Villiers asked Fleck and Burger what they made of Vaa\u2019i\u2019s celebrations and Pietersen\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n Fleck responded: \u201cI 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\u2019s just a bit excessive. It\u2019s not really what rugby is about. So, I agree with KP. Fair to put it out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Burger: \u201cWe\u2019ve seen it with other teams too, listen, I don\u2019t mind them celebrating if someone scores a cracker, you go and give them a hug and a high five \u2013 lekker. If a Springbok makes a mistake, celebrating someone\u2019s in your face like that would get under my skin big time.\u201d<\/p>\n De Villiers added, \u201cIs that not the idea though?\u201d<\/p>\n Burger: \u201cSure. In that group, they will say that\u2019s where they get energy from those kinds of celebrations.\u201d<\/p>\n Siya Kolisi: \u2018To focus on the ref is not the right thing to do\u2026we stuffed up\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Fleck: \u201cCertainly, as a coach, I do not encourage that stuff. I actually discourage it. It takes the focus off the game. I think it\u2019s unsportsmanlike. Celebrate your own stuff, no problem, but other people\u2019s demise or mistakes, I don\u2019t agree with.\u201d<\/p>\n Burger: \u201cI don\u2019t think I had enough bandwidth to celebrate others\u2019 mistakes. I wanted to smash them and then just crack on with the game. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. The sideshow was never my scene, but he\u2019s not stopping it this week.\u201d<\/p>\n Fleck: \u201cThere was zero reaction from the Springbok players, they just get on with their job.\u201d<\/p>\n De Villiers: \u201cWas it intentional from him or just the emotion of the match? \u201d<\/p>\n Fleck: \u201cI\u2019ve watched him quite a bit. He does it all the time. He\u2019s 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\u2019s how he gets up his own energy, and he feels he has an effect on his fellow players and the opposition, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n