Beast Mtawarira has clarified that comments made about former Bok coach Peter de Villiers in his soon-to-be released autobiography need to be taken in context.

In his autobiography, Beast, Mtawarira discussed the time in the Bok setup under the leadership of De Villiers, with some of these comments making its way into the public domain.

‘He [De Villiers] was a fantastic coach of the Junior Springboks, but I think at the high level he was probably lucky that a very good group of players was handed over to him,’ Mtawarira wrote in the book.

However, the veteran prop released a statement on Tuesday along with the book’s publishers in response to some of the backlash that these comments have generated

‘The Beast documents his relationships as they are – multi-dimensional – and while he may be critical regarding some aspects regarding key figures throughout his life, he also shares his experiences with those same individuals that challenge him, and those that built him up and nurtured him throughout is career.

‘A few commentators who have had pre-launch access to the book have honed in on one paragraph, that they interpret as critical of former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers. However, when they focus on a short extract, they fail to provide context within the greater journey of the rugby player.’

The statement went on to reiterate the respect Mtawarira has for De Villiers.

‘Peter was the coach who first picked me for the Springboks, and he stood by me through all the trouble with the Minister of Sport, so I’m really grateful to him,’ he stated.

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