Allister Coetzee, Springbok coach

Allister Coetzee (Gallo / Gabriele Maltinti)

Why Allister Coetzee HAS to stay on as Bok coach for SA rugby’s sake

Allister Coetzee simply has to remain as the Head Coach for the betterment of South African rugby

Allister Coetzee, Springbok coach

Allister Coetzee (Gallo / Gabriele Maltinti)

Yes, I mean it.

Perhaps I’m deluded based on the evidence dished up by a pathetic Bok team this year, but Allister Coetzee simply has to remain as the Head Coach for the betterment of South African rugby.

You see, it’s so easy to peer through one’s rose-tinted glasses while downing one’s 17th Yuletide dop, smirking as one declares, “Don’t worry, boet! That what’s-his-name Kiwi coach will take over next year and we’ll be back to number two again pronto!”

Before we all fuel a fire that appointing a magical New Zealander or Rebuild-King Jake White or Lion-Man Johan Ackermann to be the silver bullet, let’s calm down to a panic and start sprouting some sense and bring you a dose of reality.

Indeed, while the dust has become idle on that joke of a Springbok season, the BlitzBoks have already won and finished second in the first two Sevens tournaments of the year, the Proteas trounced those Aussie layabouts and I’m sure, somewhere in the world, Chad le Clos or Wayde van Niekerk are winning something, even if it’s being faster than Jake White’s kids to fetch me a beer.

Still with me? Read on…

  1. The poor bugger was appointed in April. He barely had time to swallow his last mouthful of sushi before handing out the jerseys against the Paddys. No Bok coach has been appointed that late before the start of a season. Then he had his assistants thrust upon him. Not cool, man.

  2. He was arguably the most-qualified candidate, despite his lord and master Regan Hoskins openly stating that he was appointed “for reasons beyond rugby”. Way to instil confidence! But Allister’s Stormers record was well above-average, despite never having won a Super Rugby title (only two South Africans have done so). He has Super Rugby Conference trophies to his name, two Currie Cups, reached numerous finals and knock-outs, a 2007 World Cup winner’s medal under White and overseas experience.

  3. Yes, 2016 was a shocker, but the side was bereft of key injured players and roughly 600 caps departed last year. I recall fans saying after the World Cup, “Clear the slate!” Well, then, what did you expect?! And all at the same time that most other international sides improved.

  4. This year the Wallabies, under Michael Cheika, lost nine of 15 games, a win ratio only 6.67% better than the Boks. The Wallabies had 13 debutants, we had 12. If anything, Allister just needed a better spin doctor to reinforce the word “rebuild” in his PR. Compare this to the highly-cohesive All Blacks who awarded 11 new caps this year but whose ability to absorb new personnel is peerless. So let’s be realistic as they have eight years on us in that department!

  5. SARU can ill-afford a R13mln dent to pay Coetzee out. That alone would have severe consequences to the financial sustainability of South African rugby. That can’t be clawed back through increased revenue from quick fix results from a White or a Wayne Smith. The only other way to avoid such a cost, get rid of Coetzee and employ a Mr Fixit Fox for a year is to set up a crowdfunding campaign for 336,000 Bok fans globally to chuck in R50 each. But that would let SARU off the hook. Again.

Just remember, the Boks lost the same number of times to Ireland this year as the All Blacks did.

So I say, “Give that man a Bells! It’s Christmas!”

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