The Golden Lions Rugby Union will decide at a bosberaad next week whether to appoint new coaches or go with what they have following the “axing” of all three of their New Zealand coaches.
The suspension of head coach John Mitchell in June was followed by the sacking this week of backs coach Carlos Spencer and conditioning guru Wayne Taylor. Mitchell was suspended over a series of complaints – from the players and management – and while a hearing started last month, it is in recess and will continue next month.
Spencer and Taylor were released from their contracts on Tuesday night, via email, according to Taylor, following a poor Super Rugby season.
“I’m disappointed how the whole thing has been handled,” said Taylor on Thursday. The former New Zealand army officer was credited with much of the Lions’ success last season when the team won the Currie Cup for the first time in 12 years, with many calling the team the fittest and strongest in the competition.
Less than a year on, however, Taylor is apparently copping much of the blame for the injury crisis that hit the team this season. At one stage during the Super Rugby competition, up to 12 frontline players were sidelined.
Forwards coach Johan Ackermann took charge of the team when Mitchell was suspended and will continue in the role until the Lions executive committee decide on the way forward at a meeting next week. It is understood they will probably continue with Ackermann in charge but that may change, depending on how the South African Rugby Union’s General Council vote on Super Rugby participation next year.
That meeting was scheduled for early last month but was postponed until next week. As things stand, the Lions – as the worst-performing SA team in this year’s Super Rugby competition – will drop out of the competition to make way for the Southern Kings.
One of the reasons given for the Lions getting rid of the trio of New Zealand coaches is that they were apparently costing the union about R400 000 a month in salaries.
“This is not a great situation for anyone … and I just hope it’s not going to affect the players too badly,” said Ackermann on Thursday.
One player who seems to have been hit hard by the goings-on in the last few months is Joshua Strauss, who’s been relieved of the captaincy of the team. This means the Lions will probably have their fourth captain leading them in just over a year when they get their Currie Cup defence under way next Saturday. Franco van der Merwe and Doppies la Grange preceded Strauss as captain and now JC Janse van Rensburg is set to take up the role.
“I feel Josh’s game has suffered this year … and it doesn’t look as if he’s enjoyed himself, so because of everything that’s happened I decided to look at someone else,” said Ackermann.
“I want him to focus solely on his rugby. For now JC will lead the team.”
Ackermann will be temporarily assisted by conditioning coach Ivan van Rooyen, who was Taylor’s understudy, and JP Ferreira, Mitchell’s technical analyst over the last two years who will take charge of the backline. – The Star