JOHANNESBURG – Allister Coetzee’s tenure as Springbok coach is expected to come to an end following Saturday’s loss to a weakened Welsh side in Cardiff.
The defeat was just another disappointing result during a dark period for South African rugby, with Coetzee’s charges having managed just 11 wins from 25 Tests over the past two years.
It’s believed that Coetzee’s lowly 44 percent win record will not nearly be enough to save his job, particularly considering that the Springboks started off their end-of-year tour with a record heaviest-ever loss to Ireland.
That result is believed to have been the final nail in Coetzee’s metaphorical coffin, but Saturday’s meek defeat to seventh-ranked Wales certainly would not have helped his cause.
With the Bok season having now come to an end, there will be the usual annual year review, where it is expected that Coetzee will face the axe.
It has already been widely speculated that new South African director of rugby Rassie Erasmus will have a central, hands-on role to play with the Boks, while his right-hand man Jacques Nienaber is also expected to be involved with the coaching group.
Last week it was reported that Coetzee and assistant coach Matt Proudfoot have already been sounding out jobs in Japan, which is where they coached before joining the Boks last year.
However, Coetzee has insisted he will not resign.
“I’m signed on until 2019. That’s what my contract says. The team has really grown. It’s a really healthy team environment.
“They are hurting at the moment. They feel that they let themselves down and the country down. You can only feel like that if you have a good team environment.
“That wasn’t the case last year. Last year was a fiasco. Definitely a fiasco.”
Should Coetzee be removed from his post before the 2018 season, it is believed that Kings coach Deon Davids may well be elevated into the Springbok coaching setup.