Springboks soon set to make major coaching appointment

There will be great expectations when the Springboks return to action with back-to-back Tests against Ireland in July, followed by a one-off encounter against Portugal prior to the Rugby Championship.

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As the Springboks start a new four-year cycle, there are set to be a number of changes to the coaching staff following the departure of Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones.

For one, Rassie Erasmus – who remains under contract to 2025 – is now set to once again focus on the head coaching duties, and there is even a chance that SA Rugby could look to extend his services for the next four-year cycle.

According to reports, the real desire from SA Rugby is for Erasmus to push through to 2027 as South Africa seek to claim a hat-trick of successive world titles, but that may mean he needs to step back from his full-time director of rugby responsibilities.

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If this were to be the case, it would be very interesting to see who SA Rugby and Erasmus would be willing to consider for such a multi-faceted role.

According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, former Bok legend Duane Vermeulen is now set to be appointed in an “important, full-time” position at SA Rugby, which could include direct involvement with the national team. However, this role could also possibly include some of the duties that Erasmus filled when serving as director of rugby.

Vermeulen’s exact job description will apparently be confirmed when SA Rugby announce the appointment of Jerry Flannery as the new Bok defence coach and Tony Brown as attack coach, which is expected in February.

POSSIBLE SPRINGBOKS COACHING TEAM FOR 2024:

• Rassie Erasmus – Head coach
• Mzwandile Stick – Assistant coach
• Deon Davids – Assistant coach
• Tony Brown – Attack coach
• Daan Human – Scrum coach
• Jerry Flannery – Defence coach
• Andy Edwards – Head of Athletic Performance
• Duane Vermeulen – (Role TBC)

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THE BOKS’ HOME TEST SCHEDULE FOR 2024 IS:

Saturday, 6 July: SA vs. Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs. Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs. Portugal (Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs. New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA vs. New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 28 September: SA vs. Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

Meanwhile, the Springboks’ away Test schedule includes two matches against the Wallabies in Australia in August, and an away match against Argentina in the Rugby Championship in September, as well as engagements in Europe in November 2024.

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