Coetzee to learn fate next week

SA RUGBY will only make an announcement on Springbok coach Allister Coetzee’s future next week.

The game’s governing body has been reviewing the coaching position since last month after the Boks won only 33% of their tests last year.

On Wednesday, a well-placed source said a decision to retain Coetzee until at least after the June series against France had already been approved. But SA Rugby would not confirm this. Union president Mark Alexander said the report-back had been received by the executive council and a number of decisions had been taken.

“We have reviewed all aspects of 2016’s performance‚” he said.

“We have spoken to the players as well as the coach and critically reviewed the season.

“We have decided on a number of actions to make what we believe will be significant changes and will announce those as soon as possible. “However‚ I would ask our supporters to have a little more patience and understand that certain conversations need to take place before formal announcements can be made.”

The source also said former Bok centre Brendan Venter could act as a more permanent consultant as part of the “actions” that Alexander referred to.

It has also been learnt that one option on the table is to appoint Coetzee as SA Rugby high performance manager after the June series against the French.

The position was left vacant by Rassie Erasmus last July when he departed to take up the director of rugby role with Irish province Munster.

That could be a smart solution‚ as SA Rugby would not have to pay Coetzee out.

The Bok coach is a good organiser and liked by many and he could work well as a link between SA Rugby and the provinces.

His presentations at last year’s coaching indaba were well received for their technical detail.

It would also buy SA Rugby some time to headhunt a new Bok coach in the coming weeks.

SA Rugby have also not appointed a Junior Springbok head coach with only four months to go to the Junior World Championships.

Ex-Maties coach Chean Roux is a leading candidate, with NWU-Pukke coach Jonathan Mokuena.

‘ We have spoken to the players as well as the coach and critically reviewed the season