According to South African newspaper Rapport, de Villiers passed his performance review with the SARU last week, but not without being made to explain a number of controversial statements.

The former Baby Boks supremo made headlines for his comments surrounding Schalk Burger's suspension for making contact with the eye area of Luke Fitzgerald but Rapport also suggests his employers queried his team selections, use of tactical substitutions and an apparent focus on the policy of transformation which involves picking players of colour.

De Villiers, who is thought to have taken the criticisms on board, was requested to speak Afrikaans rather than English at future press conferences in order to express himself fully, while he was also warned about making political or religious comments when discussing South African rugby.