1
Jean de Villiers' three word response to 'best in the world' debate
By Josh Raisey
As enthralling as South Africa’s 1-1 series draw with Ireland was, it did not help much with the debate over who the best team in the world is.
ADVERTISEMENT
Bragging rights were up for grabs ahead of the two-match series, but with the spoils shared, little progress has been made in the battle between the top two ranked nations.
But for former Springbok Jean de Villiers, he has a simple response to settle the debate: “factually it’s us”.
“Is the debate opinion-based or factually-based?” the 2007 World Cup winner recently said on RugbyPass TV’s latest episode of Boks Office. “Because factually we’re ranked number one in the world and we’re world champions. So there’s no debate around that.”
While de Villiers threw cold, hard facts into the discussion, he went on to say that it is “impossible to say,” with more than just two teams vying for the mantle of being the best in the world.
Ireland secured victory in the second Test in Durban with a heroic late drop goal through Ciarán Frawley, which summed up how evenly matched the series was. This did lead de Villiers to question whether the best in the world debate should be settled by one kick.
“Does a drop kick define a team to be better or not? he added. “If he misses it are we then saying we are better? Because of one kick from one person.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Though Ireland, South Africa, the All Blacks and France have been the four teams battling for rankings supremacy over the past few years, the South African did say that England will soon be part of that conversation after a promising series in New Zealand.
“Can Ireland enter the debate to be the best team in the world? Yes they can,” the 109-cap Springbok said.
“But South Africa’s ranked number one in the world and they’re ranked world champions. Because South Africa’s also part of that debate, and France can also be part of that debate, and New Zealand can also be part of that debate, and the way that England are going in a couple of months they will enter that debate as well.”
Regardless of who is deemed the best in the world among fans, Schalk Burger added that the conversation alone shows what a good place international rugby currently is in.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I think world rugby is in a good place when we’re having these conversations,” he said.
“Instead of having one team run out in front, we’ve got four teams that we think on any day can get over the line.”
LOTTO Cup winners still in denial, whats new ?!
Rugby media, youtubers etc keep trying to fan this flame. As though it matters.
Ireland is world class but the Boks are ranked no1 and World Champs…. all these idiots still blaming refs need to grow up @Dan people like you…..
In fact, 2 Irish players should've been carded with one a red card by trying to destroy a rugby players career. The crockroll on Malcolm Marx was just pure disgusting and illegal. The Irish didn't beat the Boks by out playing them. It took a moment of brilliant individual play by Ciaran Frawley for the Irish to win. There is no debate anymore. South Africa is the best in the world currently. By the end of the year, it could be somebody else. The best team goes in stages. There is never just one all time best team. If there was, then on reputation it would be the ABs, New Zealand on history. The current best team is the Boks. In WC the Irish and the French are chokers. This is the Irish best team ever and 2023 was their best chance. 2027 WC they will get stuck again. Hopefully not, because of the URC they get lots of first hand experience against world class players.
Will this pointless debate ever end?
We finally have a situation, where we have top 5 sides being reasonably equal where anyone can and does beat anyone.
So can we, please, move on instead of inventing endless reasons as to why one specific side out of those top 5, a side that remarkably did not win any medal at the recent RWC, should be the best of them all?
Both teams are world class…great that the top sides are separated by a few points…England did well against the All Blacks and those games too delivered…All Blacks had to dig deep…it wasn’t flash but they won the big moments…Ireland took their chances and sneaked home it was a thrilling 90 minutes…Boks are world Champs…Ireland are knocking on the door…they just need to get the never making it past the quarters in a RWC monkey off their back..as a rugby fan i’m just enjoying great rugby from top sides…thanks to the players for serving it up…go the All Blacks
The only thing that's interesting about this discussion is how it has so completely captured the minds of rugby podcasters and pundits OUTSIDE of Ireland. This idea that the Irish think they need to be called best in the world has been hatched abroad. Not in Ireland. We prefer to talk about actual rugby. This d**k measuring contest is juvenile
-SA are world champions
-SA are ranked NR 1
-ABs are WC finalists
-Despite SAs best efforts, they couldn't “set the record straight” against Ireland who remain their bogey team
Those are facts.
This ‘raging’ debate is only happenning in media circles and has never been a topic in Ireland (although SA media are interested).
It makes the media companies money I guess.
SA are RWC champions and #1 ranked team although Ireland are back within a point there. The facts point to SA.
For a lot of 2021 France beat ALL their rivals and Ireland similar in 2022-2023. It is not wrong to say that on such form either can be deemed to be the current best team if they have beaten all their rivals and ranked #1.
The ‘have to have won a world cup’ stipulation is nonsense. The world cup draw and scheduling has been tailored to the traditional big teams since the start. The scheduling also which sees the big teams sheltered from playing a hard pool match the week before has also been a constant. It is extraordinary that for example France have made so many finals. Ireland who were realistically only contenders in 2023 were in a Pool with two other top 5 teams and had to play one of them 7 days before a quarter final against France or New Zealand. Always going to be a coin toss. Scotland’s situation was worse.
New Zealand had great chances in 1995, 1999, 2007 but they could not win a tight RWC match. The first tight match they ever won was versus France in the 2011 final, literally they lost every other tight match before that. Some of those NZ teams around that era were #1 surely?
My three word response:
They are not
Sth Africa are no.1 without a doubt - ABs supporter here. Cold hard facts say so.
Only the Irish are saying they're no.1 and until they can go anywhere and win a series as well as winning a World Cup they will never be number one in the fans minds.
Winning the World Cup is the key to unlocking “the hearts and minds “ of rugby’s faithful.