Allister Coetzee said he is glad the six SA Super Rugby franchise coaches showed a “willingness to contribute to the success of the Springboks” following his visits to all teams over the last fortnight.
That kind of co-operation hasn’t always been forthcoming over the years from the Super Rugby bosses, as they sometimes played their stars into the ground and put their franchise before the country.
Ironically Coetzee himself hardly rested the likes of Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth when they were fit during his time at the Stormers, but now things appear to be on the right track ahead of the three-Test series against Ireland next month.
Some top players such as Tendai Mtawarira and Pieter-Steph du Toit have been rested after playing five consecutive matches, while there is a general acceptance in South African rugby that our players need to play with a more attacking mindset than in the past.
That has come through at the franchises, with the Lions the leading lights in that regard, and the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks making significant strides forward with ball-in-hand play after largely employing conservative tactics in the past.
“I believe that it is very important to have a very good working relationship between the Springbok management staff, the franchise coaches and players. During our visits I explained my philosophy to them and give them feedback of what is expected of a player when he is selected for the Springboks,” Coetzee said in a statement on Tuesday.
“A huge positive for me is the great passion and desire of the players to represent South Africa. And the willingness of all the coaches to contribute to the success of the Springboks is also something special.
“Now that I’ve visited the franchises, I would also like to visit to all the other provincial unions at some stage because alignment is very important. I believe that every player, at all the different levels of the game, must continue to dream of playing for the Springboks.”
Assistant coaches Johann van Graan, Mzwandile Stick and Matt Proudfoot joined Coetzee on his visits, along with support staff such as team manager Ian Schwartz, Warren Adams (strength and conditioning coach) and physiotherapists Vivian Verwant and Tanu Pillay.
Coetzee completed his journey around the country on Monday at the Stormers in Bellville on his 53rd birthday, with the players singing happy birthday to him.
Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi said Coetzee’s presence lifted the team spirit following a disappointing 17-13 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus. “Allister has a lot of history here, and the boys enjoyed themselves. It is his birthday today and we sang him a song, and he told us some good jokes. We enjoyed his company and it was nice to have him here,” he said.
“Allister made it quite clear that he is looking to throw the net wide. He told the players what he is looking for, and I think the players took it on personally. You look at yourself and what coach Allister is looking for, and you tell yourself ‘I need to work harder on this, and I need to work harder on that’.”
Coetzee will name his first Bok squad on Saturday night at Newlands, with the players going into camp in Stellenbosch on Sunday before the opening Ireland Test at Newlands on June 11.
In addition, a SA ‘A’ squad that will face the England Saxons side on June 10 (Bloemfontein) and June 17 (George) will also be announced.
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