Meyer panel ‘not qualified for job’

THE men who will decide whether Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer gets to keep his job are not fit to do so.

So says a man with a say in the process, Golden Lions deputy president Altmann Allers.

Allers, speaking in his private capacity, believes the process by which the national coach is appointed should be overhauled.

Meyer’s fate will be determined on December 10 and 11.

First the 13-man South African Rugby Union (Saru) executive committee will review his performance and make a recommendation to the general council meeting a day later.

The council, made up of two officials from each of the 14 provinces as well as Saru president Oregan Hoskins, gets to say “yea” or “nay”.

“How can the provincial presidents be involved in a process like this, and I include myself?” asked Allers.

“I don’t know the first thing about what it takes to appoint a national rugby coach. I know the Exco is supposed to come up with a recommendation, but frankly not all of them, like the provincial union presidents, have the necessary rugby

I don’t know … what it takes to appoint a national rugby coach

knowledge to make such a decision. I would favour being part of a process where we don’t vote now on whether the coach stays or goes but rather appoint a panel. I would then be happy to endorse and support whatever name they come up with.”

Saru have closed ranks on the issue. Cheetahs chief executive Harold Verster perhaps best embodied the laager’s tight formation. “We have resolved not to talk about the Heyneke Meyer issue. That’s all I can say.”

Allers, however, was everything but taciturn. He believes the requisite intellectual capital resides in South Africa, but that whoever coaches the national side needs to be sensitive to the expectations of all shareholders in South African rugby.

“What we should perhaps do is appoint a panel which consists of two former Springbok and Super Rugby coaches, and I can think of quite a few capable ones, and two current Super Rugby coaches. A panel of five would be ideal with a chairman from Saru.”

He believes no hasty decisions should be made. “Before you can make a change you need to know to what you are changing. If you are going to fire a coach you need to improve things by replacing him.”

A highly placed source who wished to remain anonymous agrees, saying Saru’s options now are limited with the best candidates currently contracted elsewhere.

“What may happen is that the incumbent is offered a one-year contract which gives other candidates the opportunity to free themselves up from their current employment.

“They may also decide to appoint a caretaker coach.”