De Villiers has been urged to tone down his outspoken ways by his South African Rugby Union employers © Getty Images

I'm must admit I am not sure whether his performance review was scheduled for after the recent series with the British & Irish Lions - these things normally occur at the end of a season - but there was more than enough justification for a little chat with the outspoken Boks boss.

The flowery-speaking De Villiers has been no stranger to controversy since taking the Springboks' reins from Jake White following the side's triumph at Rugby World Cup 2007. Arguably that seed was sown by SA Rugby themselves with union president Oregan Hoskins admitting that, "the appointment was not entirely made for rugby reasons” in reference to the colour of his skin.

From that point on he has gobbled up the column inches with some amusing and bemusing sound bites such as these:

“I think I should walk away from this job and give it back to the whites.” - De Villiers reacts to allegations that he featured in a sex tape.

“If you want to run with the big dogs you’ve got to lift a leg.” - De Villiers talks up his side following their defeat to the All Blacks in Wellington during last year's Tri-Nations.

“If you look at the Bible and see how Joseph got out of the pit and ended up in the palace, but between the pit and the palace there was a moerse lot of kak.” - De Villiers explains away his side's form ahead of their defeat to New Zealand at Newlands during the 2008 Tri-Nations.

The pattern continued this year with the Lions tour offering him an even bigger stage from which to entertain and baffle.

"What I learned in South Africa is, if you take your car to a garage and the owner is black or a black man, and they mess it up, you never go back to that garage. If the owner is white, you say ag, sorry, they made a mistake and you go back again. This is how some people live their lives in this country." – De Villiers defends the presence of Ricky Januarie in his squad despite question marks about his form.

"I won't change my style, if I change my style I will change Peter de Villiers, and then I would have to tell God that he made a mistake when he made me." – De Villiers resorts to the third person under criticism for his outspoken nature.

"If we are going on like this, why don't we go to the nearest ballet shop, get some tutus and get a dancing shop going? There will be no eye-gouging, no tackling, no nothing and we will enjoy it." – De Villiers stokes the row following Schalk Burger’s eye-gouging of Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.

The South African Rugby Union were reportedly pressured by the International Rugby Board to issue an apology for De Villiers’ initial outburst following the Burger-Fitzgerald incident but its sincerity was subsequently called into question as the Bok coach was soon drawn back into the row by the media.

Such was the furore that it over-shadowed the Springboks’ historic series triumph over the tourists which will have also infuriated his union bosses. As a result it was not surprising that they slapped him on the wrist at this week’s review.

"The assessment committee advised Peter to refrain from statements involving the Bible and to generally be more careful about what he says," Hoskins told local media.

"We explained where he could have used a different approach. One example was the statement about the mechanic when he tried to defend Ricky Januarie's selection. We made it clear the media wasn't there to fight with him and that they just report what they see and hear.”

This last point was highlighted in the wake of the second Test row - starting in the post-match press conference where De Villiers was immediately on the defensive as he was peppered by the British and Irish media. Perhaps his experiences with the South African media leave him cautious but with reports that he has shunned any media training you have little sympathy for him.

Although a little concerning, the religious themes that De Villiers favours are probably not the main concern for his employers. Biblical references are extremely common on the sporting stage be it T-shirts worn by the Confederations Cup-winning Brazil side or American golfer Stewart Cink thanking God for his recent Open Championship triumph. Faith has also long been a part of South African rugby.

It is the political dynamite he dishes up that causes sleepless nights with a country still wrestling with a troubled, race-divided past.

The timing of De Villiers’ dressing down, on the eve of a run of three home games in this year’s Tri-Nations, is also significant with Hoskins and co surely hoping for a trouble-free month.
Another key conclusion from this week’s meeting will see De Villiers speak in Afrikaans at press conferences and in interviews if he feels he can express himself better using a language more familiar to him. My South African colleagues have nothing but praise for the way he handles himself one-on-one but admit he is more at ease in Afrikaans.

De Villiers is currently blessed with a talented squad featuring many of those who shared in the recent Rugby World Cup glory and there is no doubt that the victory over the Lions gives him plenty of breathing space in the job. In fact his employers could not be happier with his coaching prowess although rumours remain that senior players are guiding the side.

But sources tell me that even a defeat in the recent series would not have hastened his departure partly due to the political bind the union have put themselves in - they have to be seen to give the country’s first black coach every opportunity to prove himself – and partly because of the lack of a potential replacement.

Time will tell if De Villiers changes his ways in light of this latest warning but let’s hope he doesn’t change completely. His forthright style is often refreshing in an otherwise bland, cliché-ridden world but if he could just think about what he is going to say before opening his mouth.