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Heyneke Meyer

HEYNEKE Meyer has only been the Springbok coach for four days but has already shown an ability to avoid several of the landmines which his predecessor managed to detonate in spectacular fashion over four years.

Meyer was at pains this weekend to reassure rugby fans that he will not pick a captain who does not deserve his place, refused to make rash predictions about his gameplan and indicated that he – not the players – will dictate strategy. And he has not mangled a single metaphor.

In short, he is not Peter de Villiers, and South African rugby fans might be tempted to breathe a large sigh of relief.

But what can we expect from Meyer? The indications – from his career and from interviews he has given since being appointed Bok coach – are most heartening.

The fact that he turned the Bulls franchise around so spectacularly after taking over as coach has been well-documented. His success there seems to have been built on a combination of pragmatism, attention to detail and a ruthless streak.

The outstanding players he nurtured at the Bulls are unanimous in their respect for Meyer: most, if not all, regard him as the best coach they have ever played under.

The coach’s public comments on his new job since it was announced suggest that he is not going to let his ego get in the way of the team. He has been cautious about making commitments that could come back to bite him and is obviously happy to listen to advice.

It is also encouraging that just about all the rugby experts – perhaps the most difficult constituency to please in the entire country – have welcomed the appointment.

But coaching the Springboks is not an easy job: pressure will come at Meyer from impatient supporters, from the game’s notoriously self-serving administrators and from politicians anxious to see the game transformed. Few, if any, of his predecessors have managed to deal competently with all of these factors.

We wish him the requisite patience and strength to handle it all while simultaneously putting the Boks back where they belong: on top of the world.