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When members of the media questioned the performance of replacement scrum-half Ricky Januarie, .

And last year, when , he threatened to "give the job back to the whites", a remark for which he later apologised.

You might expect him to be chastened by these experiences, but the 52-year-old was as defiant and passionate as ever at the Boks' base in on Thursday.

When I asked if he would change his approach following the consternation of the last week, he insisted: "I won't change my style. If I change my style I change Peter de Villiers and will have to go back to God and say 'you are doing a bad job'."

He instead blamed the controversy on the "negativity" and "superiority" of the British media.

You might also expect the patience of his bosses to be wearing thin, yet SARU president has promised to stick by a coach he describes as "a work in progress".

"Peter absolutely has my full support," Hoskins told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport. "He is doing a good job, he is a good coach and there is huge potential for him to be successful."

Many of De Villiers' problems arise from the fact he was not appointed purely because of his ability as a coach. the appointment was not for "only rugby reasons", adding "we took into account the issue of transformation in rugby very, very seriously".

The outstanding candidate was , who had just led the Blue Bulls to the Super 14 title and impressed most at interview. Although Hoskins believes the affirmative action of appointing a black coach "has been a positive sign for the whole of world rugby", it has also cast De Villiers in the role of token appointment.

His record as Boks coach is an impressive 11 wins in 15 games, including a and going unbeaten on a tour of Britain for the first time since 1997.

Despite this, De Villiers has received very few accolades, with the plaudits going instead to an outstanding and experienced core of players led by inspirational skipper John Smit.

When I spoke to , who has been called into the side for Saturday's third Test, he was glowing about De Villiers though.

The Sharks winger never played under Jake White, in contrast to so many of the team, and knows the current coach well from their time together with the Emerging Boks.

"What I like about Peter is that he gives players responsibility and the freedom to play," said the 28-year-old.

"He is open and honest and has such confidence in you, backing you 100%, that it gives you incredible belief."

Hoskins also believes De Villiers is a talented coach who can become the full package if he learns how to deal with the media. "Up to now he hasn't been very good at that," he admitted, with some understatement.

"He is a good coach and if he says less and is more positive, there is huge potential for
him."

And Hoskins wants critics to consider De Villiers' tough background in the of the Western Cape during the apartheid era.

"Without making excuses for Peter, he thinks he has had to struggle his whole life," he said. "He is where he is today because of this struggle and that is the person, the enigma we are talking about."

Despite these obstacles, De Villiers went from being a teacher to assistant coach of Western Province in 1998, before enjoying success with the Springboks Under-19 and Under-21 sides as well as the Emerging Boks.

It is also worth considering the intense pressure he faces off the pitch, where politics and race often seem as important as results.

On one side stand those who say he only got the job because of his colour, on the other critics who argue he has not done enough to break with the traditions of the past, most notably Cheeky Watson, president of the Eastern Cape Rugby Union.

Not many other international coaches are placed in such a position - of taking the Boks job with no other top-level experience; of having to be a diplomat and at the same time a fighter; of being a black role model yet also a winner on the pitch.

Yet these are demands De Villiers must come to grips with, and quickly, if he is to keep his job.

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