No knee-jerk reactions from Coetzee, SA Rugby
SALAMI SANDWICH: Sergio Parisse, middle, is tackled by Rudy Paige, left, and Adriaan Strauss of South Africa during the rugby test match at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence yesterday in Florence SPRINGBOK coach Allister Coetzee said he won’t make any immediate decisions about his future in the wake of yesterday’s 20-18 loss against Italy.
It was the Boks’ seventh defeat in 11 tests in 2016 and represented another low in the team’s history with Italy beating SA for the first time in 13 attempts.
“My future is out of my hands but this was definitely not Springbok standard,” Coetzee replied when asked if he would resign.
“This is the darkest and toughest moment of my coaching career. But I don’t want to look at it emotionally now because emotions are high. I’m in a difficult position. It’s not easy.”
SA Rugby released a statement immediately after the match which said it would wait until the conclusion of the tour before making any decisions.
“We have a minimum target of winning three out of four test matches each season (75%) – which is better than the historical record – but we have not come close this season,” SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said.
“It would be easy to lay the blame for that at one door or another, and look for scapegoats, but it would also be an oversimplification.
“All of us within South African rugby need to look at ourselves and ask what we could have done differently in aid of the Springbok cause.
“Those questions will be asked at the end of the season when we will undertake a full review of the year and what new interventions may be needed to turn things around.”
Coetzee seemed hesitant when asked if he believed he could turn the team’s fortunes around given that results have become worse throughout the season.
“I still think I’m the man that can turn it around and I don’t believe I’ve lost the changeroom,” Coetzee said.