True greatness in sport is achieved by people and teams who rise above all else and deliver their absolute best in everything they do on and off the pitch. Greatness is defined not by achievements but more so in the spirit of the achievement. When we talk about "greats" in sports we don't just think about their abilities, but we think about how they handled themselves and the example they set. It's an image one holds, much more than thinking about the specifics of what they do, even if we may not always like the personalities involved.

Look at guys like Federer, Nadal and Woods. They are great sportsmen, but to me their greatness is defined by their attitude and their grace in victory and defeat. They will never say a bad thing about a competitor and if they have a gripe they will keep it to themselves. I don't think about a monster forehand when I think Nadal. I see a calm, intensely focused guy who knows who and what he is. He just avoids the clutter.

This Bok team has killed the opportunity to ever be seen as greats. The core of the current squad is packed with talent and with the right leadership and team culture they could have moved to another level. Sadly, the opportunity has been botched and they have gone backwards.

The negative demeanour at the top has filtered down and we saw the fruits of a coach that is completely out of control and has no grace and no class, filter down to the performance on the field in the attitude of the players.

Where is the personal accountability? If the coach openly offends the international media and belittles his opponents day after day, will that create a sense of accountability? I don't think so. We have seen is ramblings that have nothing to do with rugby from a man that is completely out of touch with how you should conduct yourself as the person in charge of a major sports team, and the players have dragged it onto the field with them. The armband was just so symbolic it's actually send shivers down my spine. The fact that they could even contemplate this idiotic act just shows me where this group finds itself mentally.

If Burger was operating in a squad where there is real accountability and a true sense of being part of something potentially great, would he maybe have taken the field with a bigger goal in mind other than just wanting to fuck up the first guy he came into contact with? Would guys like Botha have thought twice before the charge on Jones? Would young, impressionable guys like Brussow and Kanko have focused their minds on their job rather than getting involved in niggling crap after the whistle? I think so. What sort of a team ethic do these guys buy into? None it seems.

Greatness in team sports assumes ability. It needs leadership and culture to thrive. We have preciously little of either, and only ability and a bit of luck to thank for a series win.

I predict the Boks will sadly decline unless we see a positive management change.