Allister is actually keen to lead Boks
claim, and in a text message to the Sunday Times he reiterated his stance.
“I have one employer and that’s Kobe, with whom I’m still contracted,” he told Sport24.com, which ran a second story to clarify their earlier piece that offended Coetzee.
“The South African Rugby Union has not offered me a job. I am not aware of a short list for the Bok job and I can’t appoint myself as coach. What am I supposed to say? That I’m not going to return to my job [in Japan]?
“The question that was posed to me — and what was reported in the media — was twisted. It creates the impression that I’m not interested [in the Bok job]. I can’t help but question the agenda.”
Coetzee would be a strong candidate given that he took the Stormers to the playoffs in Super Rugby four times in a six-year tenure.
But there are critics of the style the Stormers employed under his management. They were a safetyfirst team that played lowrisk rugby, which infuriated MISUNDERSTOOD: Kobe Kobelco Steelers coach Allister Coetzee is refuting media claims some fans. But Coetzee’s Stormers were the most consistent South African team in Super Rugby between 2010 and 2015 and his win ratio of 63.3% was higher than the Bulls and the Sharks in the same period.
Brendan Venter, an astute coach himself, believes that Coetzee doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.
“I know Allister is sometimes criticised because his Stormers teams never went on to win the title,” Venter said. “But the key is getting your team in position and he was actually successful.
“Only four teams will make the semifinals, which is in the top 20%-25%. That’s a success. But to win it, you need a lot of luck.
“I’ve spoken to leading coaches in various sports around the world, and they all say that their job is to get the team to the final four [or the play-offs] because that gives you a chance.
“You can’t beat yourself up if you don’t win a trophy. If you’re bottom of the log, then you’re not successful. But in one-off games sometimes individual players, or bad luck, can change it.”
Saru said that they would comment on the Springbok coaching position only when there was something to report. fers occurred between 2002 and 2010.
One provincial boss who insisted he not be named said: “Questions are being asked and those questions need answers. Ultimately the image of rugby is at stake.”
He speculated that Saru’s reluctance to deal with the matter was rooted in the fact that Roux has greater powers than most of his predecessors.
The former administrator agrees.
“What we know is that South Africa’s rugby bosses aren’t brave. They backed him hoping the issue would just blow over.
“The option open to them is to maybe suspend him with pay pending an investigation. They can’t just fire him because they may leave themselves open to litigation.”
On Friday Saru appeared to be distancing itself from Roux when it released a statement refuting that they were aware of an inquiry into Roux’s employment at the university before they