Cheetahs’ Smith praises Davids
NEW Springbok assistant coach Franco Smith has described Southern Kings head coach Deon Davids’s coaching style exceptional and says they share the same mindset about how the game should be played.
Smith was talking after his last game in charge of the Cheetahs when they pipped the Kings 21-20 in a thrilling showdown in Port Elizabeth.
Earlier this season, Smith was named a full-time assistant coach to Allister Coetzee, heading the Boks’ attacking game.
Smith will be in the position until the 2019 World Cup in France. He will also be the Cheetahs’ rugby director, and Rory Duncan has been named head coach of the Cheetahs and Free State Cheetahs.
The Cheetahs said the move had been done in the best interests of Free State Rugby and to allow Smith to maintain his involvement with the Springboks.
The Cheetahs and Kings, who played their final Super Rugby game in Port Elizabeth last week, are now expected to be included in an enlarged European Pro12 tournament.
“It does not matter which competition we are going to play in. The Kings and Cheetahs will meet each other more often now and we can look forward to a lot more clashes over here,” Smith said.
“Both teams are renowned for developing young players and the style Deon Davids coached this year was exceptional. It is exactly the same mindset and philosophy I have. “I think it is the direction we must head to.” Smith said it was emotional being head coach of the Cheetahs for the final time when the team played their last Super Rugby match.
“It was quite emotional. I started 2½ years ago with a plan. I took a bunch of young players from Varsity Cup and added some quality players.
“We tried to build a brand that excites everyone in South Africa.
“I’m proud to say, looking back, that while we were not always winners, we won a lot of hearts.
“That was one of the goals we achieved at the Cheetahs and I am a little bit sad to say goodbye to the players as a hands-on coach.
“I am very grateful to have the opportunity to coach with the Boks now and develop more players in South Africa.
“My new role at the Cheetahs as director of rugby is to develop coaches and players and to support the system.
“I still believe in the Cheetahs. We are an academy that has been developing players over the years.
“For 125 years we have developed players for other unions, so we are going to keep on doing that and provide them with the best opportunity to develop and to play a brand that excites.
“We will develop players for the whole of South Africa, not just the Cheetahs.
“All the negativity surrounding Super Rugby over the last 10 years is now off our back and we can really go into the Currie Cup and whatever lies behind that with a different mindset.”
Smith said he was delighted that his team had managed to get over the line against the Kings after a season of near misses.
“Our season was marked by getting so close and losing. In one game we were leading the Highlanders 41-24 with six minutes to go and we managed to lose that.”
“I think the Cheetahs showed some great character against the Kings.
“The Kings were exceptional on defence and attack and they managed to nullify our set piece, which is our strength usually.
“So compliments to the Kings coaching staff and the way that they fought.”