Lions 2009: South Africa back down over Peter de Villiers's

The South African rugby union was forced into an embarrassing climbdown after it learnt that the Lions were considering a formal complaint to the International Rugby Board over comments made by the Springboks coach, Peter de Villiers, over the eye

The union stopped short of condemning Burger’s actions specifically and

The union stopped short of condemning Burger’s actions specifically and appeared to refer only to comments made in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s Test, rather than to De Villier’s tirade on Monday.

“We would like to apologise to the rugby community for the erroneous impression that acts of foul play are condoned by South African rugby,” union president Oregan Hoskins said. appeared to refer only to comments made in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s Test, rather than to De Villier’s tirade on Monday.

“We would like to apologise to the rugby community for the erroneous impression that acts of foul play are condoned by South African rugby,” union president Oregan Hoskins said. -gouging incident involving Schalk BurgerSchalk Burger.

De Villiers said in an official release: “Eye-gouging is something that we as a team will never be part of.”

De Villiers had earlier launched an extraordinary, madcap defence of Burger, the flanker banned for eight weeks for gouging the Lions wing, Luke Fitzgerald, inviting those who might object to head to the “nearest ballet shop and buy some nice tutus”.

De Villiers denied that there had been any wrongdoing and said that if the Springboks had any need to gouge lions, then “we would go to the Bushveld and eye-gouge lions there”. There were also references to former South Africa presidents Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela and F W de Klerk, as well as a contemptuous dismissal of the media.

De Villiers’s performance was bizarre, riveting and wholly inappropriate. The evidence against Burger was clear-cut, although it took a judicial panel over 12 hours to reach their conclusion, the verdict being released at 1.13am local time yesterday.

“I don’t think he did it,” De Villiers said. “I have watched the footage and I am still convinced nothing went on on purpose. When Schalk saw the footage he went 'Oh, argh, I never meant to go near anybody’s eye’. When you know the man as I do, he’s so honourable and he’s so physical and he has no need to do such measures to show who’s boss on the rugby field.”

The Springbok coach unleashed all manner of comments in a spewing, spiralling, impassioned outburst. “Rugby is a contact sport, so is dancing,” he said. “So if some guys can’t take it, make the decision. There are so many incidents that we can say we want to cite this guy for maliciously jumping into this guy’s face with his shoulder but we didn’t do it because we know that it’s just a game.

“Look, if you’re going to win games in the boardroom or in front of television cameras, then, look, do we really respect the game we know or should we go to the ballet shop for some nice tutus and get a great dancing show going? And then there will be no gouging, no tackling, no nothing.”

De Villiers also took exception to the notion that the Springbok victory had been overshadowed by the incident.

“We would love people to take it on the chin, and say 'well done South Africa’. Nelson Mandela and F W de Klerk won the Nobel Prize for peace, whatever wrongs they did. But nobody can take away the fact they won that prize. And no one can take away that we are joyous to have won a series. We showed character, not luck.”