Johannesburg - What a few days lie ahead for the South African Rugby Union.
Several issues will be dealt with at a number of meetings in Cape Town but set to get the most attention on the to-do list is the position of Allister Coetzee and his Springboks.
After a disappointing first year in charge, where the team won only four times in 12 Tests, Coetzee and his management team are under pressure to keep their jobs.
What the big bosses need to decide is whether it will benefit the Boks to keep Coetzee on or get rid of him, pay him out a massive package, and change the whole coaching team.
It’s not a decision that will be got to easily.
There are several pros and cons about keeping Coetzee or letting him go, but what might well happen is that he’ll stay on, but he’ll get to decide who he wants in his management team.
It wouldn’t be the worst move; his surrounding himself with people he knows and trusts and can bounce ideas off.
What is crucial though, whoever’s part of the coaching staff next year, is that the players get backed and built up to the extent that the 2016 season is forgotten as quickly as possible.
Confidence in the Bok squad was surely at an all-time low in the latter stages of the season and turning that around will be critical for the coaching team.
Set to play a big part in this, that is getting the players focused on the job at hand and in what lies ahead, will be the captain. So, his appointment will be critical, too, and the sooner this matter is dealt with the better.
Get the man appointed and get on with the planning.
While it’s understandable the rugby-loving public are down in the dumps after the season we’ve just witnessed we shouldn’t despair that things can’t be fixed.
They can be corrected, and it could happen quicker than we think.
Just look how England have turned their fortunes around after looking very ordinary last season; just look at what the Lions have done in the space of two seasons after being in the dumps in 2013 after being relegated from Super Rugby.
Also - and yes, I know the Currie Cup isn’t what it once was - look at how quickly things have changed at the Cheetahs; they looked out of sorts in Super Rugby, but went unbeaten in the Currie Cup to lift the trophy in style.
Things can change quickly in sport.
Players believing in themselves and their coaches is crucial for success though and that’s where the Boks lacked in 2016. But if they’re able to become more stream-lined, with only one or two experienced, respected voices telling them what to do there’s no reason why they can’t get back to winning ways next year.
Because it’s not as if we don’t have the players in this country; we do ... it’s just a matter of getting them all on the same page and believing in each other and their coaches.
Until next year, enjoy the holidays.