Bok coach a master of confusion

If we as journalists are getting confused, I don’t want to know what the general public are going through. The mixed signals Springbok coach Allister Coetzee was sending out about struggling wing Raymond Rhule were to be backed up a day later by his backline coach Franco Smith before the Aussie Test in Bloemfontein tomorrow.

On Monday, Coetzee told a media gathering in Bloemfontein that it was getting the message wrong if Rhule was going to be dropped after just one poor performance against the All Blacks.

And on Tuesday Smith backed up the sentiments of his coach by stating the Bok back three haven’t been all that poor if stats are to be believed.

Yet later on Tuesday Rhule was released from the squad to get some game time with the Cheetahs this weekend in the Pro-14.

Now if the media reported the issue correctly, then Coetzee was “backing” Rhule. Then why release him a day later? Is it that he doesn’t back him anymore?

Who are then the most questionable persons – all the journos who reported on what Coetzee said, or the coach himself?

All of a sudden Dillyn Leyds is the new flavour of the month. And let’s remember it’s the same Leyds who has been getting less than 10 minutes in each of his three appearances off the bench.

And this is in conjunction with the sentiments expressed by the Bok coach that he didn’t call up most of the people’s favourite in Ruan Combrinck, who apparently didn’t get enough “game time” over in Japan.

There’s no doubt about either Leyds or Combrinck’s abilities – but why compare apples with pears?

Combrinck has proved himself capable at this level having a big match temperament and while Leyds had been sensational for Western Province.

But, and it’s a big but, he has yet to prove he can make the step-up at international level where space is much less.

For years the Bok back three have been seasoned campaigners in fullback Willie le Roux and the highly experienced wingers Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen.

But with them gone now, the jury has been out on inexperienced fullback Andries Coetzee, as well as wingers Courtnall Skosan, Rhule and now Leyds.

However, the simple solution would have been to bring back Combrinck, who together with Skosan and Coetzee would have reunited the cohesion they perfected over the years at the Lions.