Erasmus to enter Bok fray
Rassie set to rule the roost with Springboks
ALLISTER Coetzee’s role as commander-in-chief of the Springboks may end if SA Rugby’s plans to install a director of rugby come to fruition.
The Sunday Times understands that the game’s local organising body has targeted Rassie Erasmus for the position.
Should he agree terms, Coetzee would have to report to him as the highest-ranking coach in the country.
Erasmus, SA Rugby’s general manager of rugby before he took up the position of director of rugby at Munster in July last year, is still contracted to the Irish province and his release is dependent on them finding a suitable replacement.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Erasmus could be unveiled as SA Rugby’s director of rugby early next month.
“His club, however, has to find a suitable replacement and the problem they have is they can’t put it in the open market because that will raise obvious suspicions about Rassie’s future.”
The source said finding someone to take over control of the national team from Coetzee had become a priority as the organisation needed to restore sponsors’ confidence in the Springbok brand. Although SA Rugby have of late attracted new sponsors, the source said: “In simple terms, it is about survival and sustainability.”
He added that SA Rugby had little confidence in Coetzee masterminding a successful assault on the 2019 World Cup. “That’s why appointing a director of rugby has become a priority.”
The Sunday Times asked SA Rugby president Mark Alexander if appointing a director of rugby was a priority and if Erasmus was their preferred candidate. “There are other things that we are looking at before we can focus on appointing a director of rugby. We will know more by the end of next month.
“There are a few dependencies,” he JUNE 18 2017 www.sundaytimes.co.za said without elaborating.
“We have to look at strategy before we can work structure. We do need someone to drive a process that standardises basic skills and we also need a clearly defined path for our players.”
He would not be drawn on how Coetzee’s role would be defined under a director of rugby.
“We will constantly evaluate as we go along. We want to see our game develop as we approach the next Rugby World Cup. For us, it is about improvement rather than wielding a big stick.
“We’ve got a young team. People forget that we lost 24 players to retirement and playing opportunities abroad since the last World Cup. That includes four Springbok captains, Jean de Villiers, Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez and Schalk Burger.”
It wasn’t the case last year but Alexander confirmed that a performance agreement was in place with Coetzee. Should Erasmus return, it won’t be without some gnashing of teeth at Munster.
Erasmus, a former coaching mastermind at the Cheetahs and Stormers last year, had to roll up his sleeves and involve himself more intimately with on-field coaching after the untimely death of Munster legend Anthony Foley. It helped elevate him to near cult status at the club. His stock further skyrocketed after he won the Pro12 coach of the year award last month.
The fact that the SA Rugby job primarily deals with on-field affairs would greatly appeal to the former Bok flank.
“The director of coaching will be much more hands-on,” the source said. “He will handle contracting of coaches and players, he will develop playing patterns. In the past, his role was purely administrative. This time it will be on-field.”
It was suggested last year when he left South Africa for Limerick that he had grown disillusioned with the local set-up after he was overlooked for the Springbok post.
Given the Springboks’ poor results last year, in which the team won just eight out of 12 tests, SA Rugby started warming to the idea of facilitating a return for Erasmus, but in an elevated coaching role.
They did not have the money to buy Coetzee out of his contract, but they still needed to install a director of rugby. Erasmus, who in March denied he was returning home, could not be reached for comment.