T20: can Dolphins reign?
THERE are few things as unpleasant as uncertainty. And if that uncertainty is related to your position as Springbok coach, you can forget about having a merry Christmas.
That is the situation that troubled Bok coach Allister Coetzee now faces after SA Rugby confirmed that they will only make an official announcement on the expected axing of Coetzee in the new year.
SA Rugby conducted a season review with Coetzee on Wednesday after another season of unwanted records.
In a press release yesterday, SA Rugby said: “A number of meetings and reviews are in progress on all national teams after which plans for all teams in 2018 will be confirmed.”
Under Coetzee, the Boks have won only 11 out of 25 Tests, and under the former Stormers coach the Springboks also have also recorded their first ever defeat to Ireland in South Africa, the first ever loss to Argentina away, first defeat to Italy, most points ever conceded against New Zealand (57) in both 2016 and 2017, and the biggest margin of defeat ever against New Zealand (57-0) this season.
During the End of Year tour, the Springboks also set another record under Coetzee – the most points ever conceded to Ireland (38-3) as well as the biggest margin of defeat against the Irish (35).
The Boks also experienced their worst-ever year in history in 2016 when they secured only four wins in 12 Tests.
New Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus is expected to head the coaching group, while speculation around his support staff indicate that Jacques Nienaber is the only certainty in the Bok coaching staff so far.
Kings coach Deon Davids has been strongly linked to the head-coach role, while scrum guru Pieter de Villiers and Mzwandile Stick are also rumoured to be in the mix.