ZELIM NEL

Western Province have locked Allister Coetzee into a three-year contract extension and the Stormers coach is set to unleash flyer Bryan Habana at outside centre in the season-opener against the Hurricanes at Newlands on Saturday.

“It’s a tough job for you, but as I said in a meeting earlier with players, all of us have the utmost confidence in you, and we are assured that you will not misplace that trust,” WP president Tobie Titus told Coetzee at a press conference in Bellville yesterday. “Good luck to you, your team and your players, and may the success that has eluded us be achieved this year.”

Coetzee’s existing contract was only due to expire at the end of October, but recent developments made pre-emptive contract negotiations a necessity for both the coach and his employers.

It is the Stormers who have spent recent weeks doing repeated sprints, but it was supporters of the SA conference champions who started the year gasping for air.

The loss of standout juniors Johann Sadie and JJ Engelbrecht to the Bulls was followed by news that Springbok centre Jaque Fourie had agreed to a lucrative move to Japan, and then WP director of rugby Rassie Erasmus threw in the towel at the beginning of January.

A fortnight later, the lights hadn’t yet dimmed on the press conference to unveil Heyneke Meyer as the new Bok coach when the Bulls mastermind approached Coetzee to join his management team.

Such a move, on the eve of the Super Rugby season, would have ended the Stormers’ season before it had begun.

For Coetzee, the risk and reward of taking full responsibility for all things rugby in Western Province had to be counter-balanced by the security of a long-term contract for him to turn down Meyer’s offer.

“I have been in discussions with Heyneke… it was never an easy decision,” said the Stormers coach. “Your country is the first thing that you have to look at, and make sure you’re part of the success at national level, but we started something (at WP) a couple of years ago with Rassie, and I want to complete the job.”

The job may soon become more difficult. Three-year contract extensions were also reportedly offered to assistant coaches Robbie Fleck and Matt Proudfoot, defence coach Jacques Nienaber and Vodacom Cup coach John Dobson, but Nienaber is widely rumoured to be packing his bags for the Springboks.

Coetzee’s duties will be streamlined by a High Performance Manager, a position created to support the coach on an administrative level.

“There’s a support structure that has been created by Western Province,” added Coetzee.

“This person works under me, and I’m in charge. I just want to make that clear.”

Titus was equally explicit about who would be held responsible for the Stormers’ fortunes: “From today, the buck stops with Allister Coetzee.”

Coetzee added: “I accept this job with all of its complexities, the diversity of Cape Town and the media.

“We all want to make sure the Stormers do well.”

How well the Stormers do in their first run of the season may be determined by Habana, who will line up opposite 55-cap All Blacks outside centre Conrad Smith on Saturday.

Based on a “pleasing performance” in the No 13 jersey against the Kings two weeks ago, Habana has been entrusted with marshalling the defence in place of Juan de Jongh, who is making “slow progress” from a cheekbone injury suffered during the pre-season scrimmage with the Lions.

Rynhardt Elstadt has also been ruled out through injury, and young Eben Etzebeth scrummed down in a towering second row partnership with Andries Bekker at training yesterday.

Bekker is joined by Duane Vermeulen, Dewaldt Duvenage and Nick Koster on a list of four Stormers who have made a full recovery from varying injury lay-offs in time for the start of the season.

The Hurricanes arrived in Cape Town on Sunday and yesterday completed a light training session at Hamiltons in Green Point. Coach Mark Hammett has appointed Smith to the captaincy of a largely unknown side which bid farewell to All Blacks Piri Weepu and Ma’a Nonu (Blues), Hosea Gear (Highlanders) and Aaron Cruden (Chiefs) in the off-season.

“I read somewhere that the Hurricanes have turned into a breeze,” said Coetzee. “But we’re under no illusions about the challenge.”