‘Let us consign 2016 to history’
COETZEE: IT’S BETTER THAT IT’S BURIED AND WE MOVE ON
Coach keeps quiet on issue of the next Springbok coach.
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee reiterated yesterday that the sooner everyone forget about last year’s dismal Bok season the better for everybody. The second Bok training camp got underway in Stellenbosch yesterday where Coetzee and his support staff worked with the large group of 41 players ahead of the French Test series in June.
While the group went through medical examinations, there will also be field and gymnasium sessions and freshly announced Bok defence coach Brendan Venter has already put the squad through some drills.
With the Boks winning just four of their 12 Tests last season Coetzee has been under the radar before his contract was confirmed for the rest of his four-year stay after the poor first season.
“I think it’s better that 2016 is dusted and buried and we move on from that,” said Coetzee.
Coetzee described Lions coach Johan Ackermann’s departure to Gloucester as “a big loss”.
He has however not yet moved any closer to naming his new national skipper.
With previous Bok captain Adriaan Strauss having announced his retirement from international rugby last year but opting to stay on as Bulls captain, Coetzee said the situation is still a grey area.
“I think a lot of our Super Rugby leaders are still young and inexperienced at this level and I still prefer to have our national skipper based locally,” he said.
That will obviously include Stormers flank Siya Kolisi as one of the front-runners along with lock Eben Etzebeth, with Francois Venter (Cheetahs), Pat Lambie (Sharks) and Warren Whiteley (Lions) the other candidates in the mix.
Coetzee stressed however that he and Venter shared the same beliefs and with Franco Smith on board as backline coach and Johann van Graan there as attack coach and breakdown mentor and Matthew Proudfoot with the scrums it can only be to the benefit of the national side.
“Brendan might be a consultant but he will be at all our training sessions and he has been at all our planning sessions,” said Coetzee.