Trio on shortlist to replace Rassie
INVOLVED: WORLD CUP COACH IS STICKING WITH BOKS
Rudolph Jacobs
The suspense is building daily while SA Rugby continues to contemplate who will succeed Rassie Erasmus as Springbok coach. Having recently guided the Boks to victory at the World Cup in Japan, Erasmus is set to focus more on his duties as national director of rugby, though he is expected to be directly involved with the national side in the build-up to the British and Irish Lions tour in 2021.
The SA Rugby Union is likely to unveil the way forward at next month’s annual general meeting, with the topic of the Bok coach being a prime issue.
It is believed Erasmus wanted Bok defence coach Jacques Nienaber to take over, but he has never been a head coach.
Other coaches whose names are in the hat include former Bok forwards coach Johann van Graan and former Lions coach Johan Ackermann.
When Ackermann was approached on the subject, the Gloucester head coach did not want to speculate on the matter.
“[That] is not really a topic I want to get involved in,” said Ackermann, who played with Erasmus for the Lions in 1999. “That is of course completely up to SA Rugby and, of course, Rassie.
“It would obviously be a big honour to be involved one day. It is in our blood,” he said.
Whoever took on the role would have big shoes to fill, Ackermann felt, with Erasmus turning the tide after the Boks failed to lift the 2011 and 2015 World Cup titles before racking up poor results in 2016 and 2017.
“Rassie and his management can be proud of what they achieved in the last two years,” he said. “They made SA proud again and got the supporters behind the team.”
Meanwhile, SA Rugby confirmed yesterday that the Springboks will face Scotland and Georgia in three home Tests in the new international window of July 2020, as part of the incoming series match schedule.
They are scheduled to play two Tests against Scotland, on July 4 and 11, before hosting Georgia on Saturday, July 18.