Indaba puts Boks back on right foot

THE immediate reaction after the twoday coaching indaba hosted by South African rugby at Newlands this week was an over-effusive outpouring of triumph. The impression created by the powers that be is that the sport has put itself firmly back on the road to world domination.

Acting SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said the gathering “really mapped out a new direction for SA rugby”. Springbok coach Allister Coetzee described the get together as a “groundbreaking moment”.

The indaba was held behind closed doors, so it is difficult to judge how much of this is deluded self-congratulatory bluster, and how much is based on a process that involved a tough look at South African rugby structures and their weaknesses, and was followed by finding workable solutions.

But it is important to note that it was only “some” of South Africa’s best brains.

World Cup winning coach Jake White was reportedly not invited. Peter de Villiers was evidently invited too late to change other commitments. Both have their critics, but as recent past Springbok coaches they would surely have had some valuable input.

And, if SA Rugby really wants the Springboks to challenge New Zealand and England once more, why was the indaba limited to South Africans? Including the likes of Eddie Jones, Steve Hansen and other top international coaches could have given the Boks a turbo-charged boost down that road to success.

They may not have accepted the invitations, but there would have been no harm in asking.

The next step in this process has to be to get South African rugby, in its entirety, working out of the same coaching manual. That means making sure the structures start at primary-school and high-school level, and are carried through to the international superstars.

Once we achieve that, we can really look forward to taking on the All Blacks once more.