Cape Town – A final decision on Springbok coach Allister Coetzee’s future is set to be made in late January, with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander saying the organisation would “act upon whatever interventions are identified as being necessary by all involved”.
Coetzee was in the hot seat in front of Alexander, deputy president Francois Davids, chief executive Jurie Roux and other committee members for a review of the Springbok season on Tuesday, where he had to explain exactly what had led to the team losing eight out of 12 Tests in 2016 – their worst ever return in a calendar year.
But Coetzee was not alone, as he was joined by outgoing captain Adriaan Strauss and two other senior players in Pat Lambie and Tendai Mtawarira. Strauss said following the horrific November tour to Europe – where they lost to England, Italy and Wales – that he was going to be “ruthless with the truth” when he gets his chance to speak at the review.
SA Rugby said in a statement that the “report-back session” saw the officials receive feedback from Coetzee and the players on technical, tactical, operational, logistical and personnel matters, and what impact management and players believed they may have had on team performance.
But the committee also gave their impressions of the season, and “particularly the Outgoing Tour performances” to Coetzee and the players. The 20-18 defeat to Italy in Florence was especially galling for officials, and it has placed Coetzee’s future under the spotlight. It is believed that some members of the SA Rugby hierarchy want him fired, while he still has the support of others to continue.
The historic defeats to Ireland (at home for the first time) and Argentina (away for the first time), as well as the record 57-15 thrashing at the hands of the All Blacks has added to the pressure Coetzee is under.
Some of the mitigating circumstances for the 53-year-old were the fact that he was only appointed in April, two months before the first Irish Test, while he also didn’t enjoy carte blanche in choosing his support staff.
“We review the Springbok season with the national coach at the end of each year, but this year’s process has been given extra attention because of profoundly disappointing results,” Alexander said in a statement on Tuesday.
“This was not a witch hunt, but a proper process to interrogate where things went wrong, with a focus on finding answers and ensuring that it does not happen again.
“This has been a period of introspection for SA Rugby, with all of us looking at our role in a dreadful season. That process will continue into January as we examine the options at our disposal. We will act upon whatever interventions are identified as being necessary by all involved. I would expect that process to be completed before the end of January.”
Alexander pointed to a number of steps that have already been taken to get Springbok and South African rugby back on track, on and off the field, such as the two coaches indabas and the conditioning workshop.
In the boardroom, it was decided to allow third parties to own up to 74 percent of a province’s commercial arm, while the power to appoint the Bok coach and the chief executive was moved from the General Council to the Executive Council.
But the immediate concern is around what’s happening on the field, which could have a negative impact off it as well, with SA Rugby trying to secure long-term sponsors for the Springbok jersey and the Currie Cup competition.
“We are following a thorough and holistic process that has begun a root-and-branch overhaul of the way things are done in SA Rugby, with only one outcome in mind – to assist the national team,” Alexander said.
“We know Springbok supporters and our partners are looking to us for instant answers, and many of them may want to see heads roll. But building winning teams is not an exact science, and we want to make sure that the changes we make are the right solutions to our current problems.”
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