Pete de Villiers (right) has denied that John Smit (left) is South Africa's real boss © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Peter De Villiers | Victor Matfield | John Smit

Tournaments/Tours: Tri Nations

Teams: Australia | New Zealand | South Africa

South Africa boss Peter de Villiers has rubbished the suggestion that he wields little power within the Springbok dressing room and that it his senior players and assistant coaches who dictate the way in which the side plays.

It was claimed during the Boks' recent visit to New Zealand that de Villiers is merely a figurehead and that captain John Smit and veteran lock Victor Matfield have a greater say when it comes to team selection and match tactics. De Villiers, unsurprisingly, strenuously denies such speculation.

"I've heard this so many times - and not just in New Zealand - that it's obvious that those with fixed opinions won't change their minds whatever I say," he wrote in response to a question fielded by a fan in the weekly newsletter Bokzine.

"I am the coach but I do listen to players who have played in close to 100 tests and won every trophy there is to win in rugby. It has brought us success and I don't recall this being a criticism last year. I am not threatened by this talk - after all, I went to France to fetch John back (from Clermont Auvergne)."

In a no-holds-barred Q&A session, de Villiers was also forced to reject the accusation that he has thus far in his reign as South Africa head coach demonstrated a reluctance to blood young players.

"We spend a long time debating in selection and this year you've seen that we have brought through young players like Francois Louw, Juan de Jongh, Flip van der Merwe and others," he said.

"But the history of World Cups is that they're won by experience - the Bok and England teams that won the last two were the most experienced in either teams' rugby history. All but three of Jake's (former head coach Jake White) team won in 2007 had made their debuts at or before the previous World Cup, so experience can't be a bad thing."

After three successive defeats on the road in this year's Tri-Nations, de Villiers is now under intense pressure. However, despite the growing clamour for him to resign, his remains steadfast in his belief that he can turn things around.

"There have been some bad days (recently) but I keep myself motivated because I believe in this team and what we are doing and know that we have the answers within ourselves to the problems that we had overseas," he said. "It's not like other years where we were bad and had no solutions in sight - we definitely know we can beat anyone in the world when we fix the small things that add up to a bad defeat.

"As for the criticism, I have had it since before day one. But it goes with the territory - a winning Bok coach is a superman; a losing Bok coach is a 'clown', I've learnt to take both with a inch of salt."