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Be brave, SA Rugby

09/01/2008 09:28

Tank Lanning

So after world-wide speculation since just prior to the Rugby World Cup semi-final when SA Rugby asked for applications for the Bok coaching job, and after two days of what were seemingly pretty gruelling interviews with those candidates who made the final four, it came down to a vote.

Yes, that is how tight it was between Heyneke Meyer and Peter de Villiers as to who will take the helm as the Boks begin their four-year cycle as world champions. The committee responsible for recommending the main man to Saru's presidents' council could not agree on a single name, so took a vote late last night, and, as such, have submitted that name to the grand old men of SA rugby this morning.

Should they okay this name in today's meeting, the result will be made public this afternoon at a news conference scheduled for 13:00. Should they not, we will have to wait a few more days...

So what made the race so tight?

I would hazard a guess as to it not having a hell of a lot to do with rugby coaching ability, but much more to do with politics - and pretty basic politics at that. In fact, black and white politics!

Making up the numbers

Out of the four candidates, Chester Williams and Alistair Coetzee were always going to be bridesmaids to the main event.

Williams had to be farmed out to help the Ugandan Sevens team last year given that no one in SA wanted him, and Eddie Jones was brought in to ignite a Bok backline that looked positively dull under Coetzee. Making up the numbers...

So to Meyer and De Villiers. One with a sensational Super 14 track record, and one following in Jake White's footsteps with a more than solid record at international age group level.

Surely a no brainer in South African rugby right now!

Not prone to beating round the bush, I will be blunt.

We have an opportunity to appoint a man of colour as Springbok coach. How can Saru or SA Rugby possibly criticise Super 14 or provincial teams about their lack of transformation if they, themselves, given the candidates at their disposal, now appoint a white coach?

Successful at the top level

The unwritten law in both SA sport and business right now is that if you have two candidates of relatively equal competency vying for an open spot, you must select or employ the person of colour. This as part of the process to redress inequalities of the past.

So while Meyer might have the edge in credentials, given his Super 14 record, White has proved that Super 14 experience is not a necessity to be successful at the top level.

So we have two candidates of relatively equal credential and one is a man of colour. De Villiers must be given a chance to coach the Bok side.

Piet Heymans, chief executive of the SA Rugby Player Union, more than likely out of spite given that Sarpa were not invited to be on the committee responsible for selecting the Bok coach, was a little naughty yesterday, I thought. He made public the results of an SMS poll he conducted amongst the Sarpa members in which Meyer came out as the unanimous favourite.

Fantastic opportunity

Whether the players should be involved in the process is a separate debate, but given that the poll results have now been made public, pondering the influence of this result on the current decision is interesting.

To my mind the presidents' council could either take cognisance of the results and deem them important, or vote to spite the actions of Heymans.

So I think SA Rugby has a fantastic opportunity to appoint a black coach in De Villiers, and staff him up with a superb management team, that could include Meyer - if he was magnanimous enough - but I think when push comes to shove, they are going to go the more conservative and results focused route and go with Meyer.

No doubt cocking it up in the process, though, and hamstringing the fellow by not allowing him free rein in the selection of his management team or Springbok side.

I wait with bated breath...

  • Tank is a former WP tighthead prop and now Sport24 editor and the author of the blog, Front Row Grunt.

  • Send Tank your thoughts

    Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.

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    COMMENTS

    doc says: Springbok Coach
    09/01/2008 10:40
    Tank, in answer to your comments on the chosen one I wish to say Yes, Yes and Yes.

    RedL says: transformation
    09/01/2008 10:57
    The argument remains, even when it comes to bok coach- we must transform from the bottom up, thereby bringing coaches and players throught the ranks, on merit, and ensuring we remain competitive. No use appointing De V only for him to fail and having no 'quota' players to choose from

    Theo says:
    09/01/2008 11:11
    Tank, you said you were a lock once? Think you should try and find a team to accommodate you fulltime - that should keep you away from trying to write about rugby, a subject with which you apparently are not very familiar.

    Alan I says: Be brave, SA Rugby
    09/01/2008 11:25
    Maybe it is time to have a Black Springbok coach then all SA and the World can see for themselves if he is up to world class rugby standard or not. At least we are 4 years away from the next world cup. As the saying goes " proof of the pie is in the eating" !!

    Hendrik says: Heyneke is best...
    09/01/2008 11:28
    in such a crucial position, you have to go with the best, and in this case the best is Heyneke. Results is all that is going to matter, whereas transformation, whether the politicians like it or not, is a goal that should not take preference over results in sport. I'd be shocked if anyone except Heyneke got the job.

    Rea says: Alan??
    09/01/2008 11:46
    Did you not read the article, De Villiers has got international credentials, and he has performed and produced the goods. You see, I will be happy if Meyer gets the job, and he can then get the flack when the Boks do not perform. As far as the SMS's, I just wish more of these had the sense of Tank.

    Ryan says: New Coach
    09/01/2008 11:53
    Lets appoint de Villiers. If we have a black coach hopefully the govt and SARU and won't interfere with selections. I also don't want to see four years of boring 10 man rugby with Liefling at flyhalf.

    Ndugu says: Meyer v De Villiers
    09/01/2008 12:07
    The theory of transformation (read affirmative action) and its practice are often vastly different. Let?s assume for a moment that De Villiers was white and then compared him to Meyer. Would you say that they are roughly equal? I would say that Meyer is the superior candidate by some distance. Therefore the affirmative action principle would not apply. The argument that De Villiers has similar credentials to when White took the job is also not valid as White was the best candidate making himself available for the position at the time. For SA Rugby to not to appoint Meyer would be sending out a terrible message to the rest of the coaches in South Africa who want to coach the Springboks: Excellence is NOT rewarded. De Villiers may go on to coach the Boks one day but it is not the right time for him now. (He should be kept in the mix though, perhaps as assistant coach.) It is for Meyer. It is the logical step in his career development. If he is not given the nod because of the colour of his skin it will be bitter pill to swallow and one of the best coaches SA have produced in the last decade may be lost to the country. Like all the development, there needs to be targets in place but at grass routes level. I?ve not heard anyone say how many black coaches trained and qualified to level III to be produced in the next X number of years by SA Rugby. Those are the sort of numbers and statements I want to hear. Opportunity based rather than outcome based targets should be the order of the day.

    DD says: Make 2 decisions
    09/01/2008 12:11
    PdeV as the Bok coach and HM as National Director of Coaching to ensure depth and continuity at all professional levels. HM can also act as the buffer between PdeV and the PC.

    Realist2 says: Super 14
    09/01/2008 12:25
    Come on the Super 14 do not have international credentials. It is the best of three countries provincial teams battling for top honours. The U21 and U19 teams play an international world cup which De Villiers won on numerous occassions. Who is now the freaken best???

    kraze says: Action speaks louder than words
    09/01/2008 12:26
    Like you said, SA Rugby needs to grow the very Balls they play with. Change may be good and a coach of colour will allow the issue of transformation to be benched, at least for a while. If a coach of colour is choosen the racist card will no longer be the ace in some politicans sleeve to be used for some political shananigans seen in SA Rugby this last decade. It may even save the springbok if De Villiers is choosen. Lets not forget that no matter what happens, politics and political interfrence in SA sport (especially rugby) has been around for the last fifty years. So lets try and get rid of this Political burden and see some change to the coaching and player profiles.

    Zulu says: Only one choice really
    09/01/2008 12:33
    Some of the comments are surprising and seem to stem from a lack of knowledge of De Villier's credentials which could well be seen as superior to Meyer's. He has performed admirably as a coach at international level - even U19/U21 international rugby is highly competitive and professional. Unlike Meyer, he is also familiar with Northern hemisphere rugby strategy. I do feel that DV is arrogant on a personal level, but he is the only logical choice of the two, colour aside.

    Athi says: Choose Meyer....
    09/01/2008 12:34
    So that he can prove to the world that 10 man blou bulle rugby is outdated and backward. The reason why they won the super 14 is because the sharks handed it to them on a silver platter. We'll probably have Hougaard as the flyhalf - goodness!! His coaching methods are simple and effective sometimes - put pressure upfront, give the ball to Hougaard for a drop kick, and hope Habana scores an intercept try! Meyer must be appointed! Can't wait!

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    • - Where did all the locks go?
    - Saru divided on new Bok coach
    - Bok coach interviews completed
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