As the World Cup celebrations come to an end in the Mother City this week, it’s time to plot the future of South African rugby.
The first step in that process will be to appoint the next coach of the Springboks.
So what exactly should the guys at the South African Rugby Union look for in a coach?
Expert technical and tactical knowledge is a given. I also believe pedigree in the game is equally important.
A Springbok coach has to have a reputation, either as a top-notch mentor or a respected former member of the national team.
That’s why Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus was such a perfect fit, he was both.
There are other qualities that have to be considered also.
KNOWHOW: Deon Davids has Super Rugby and Pro14 chops. Picture: Billy Stickland.
Let’s start with team culture.
This is probably the most difficult aspect of the job in our country, melting all the different cultures into one and then creating an identity for it.
The coach has to drive this.
But in order for him to do so, he has to have a very good understanding of the various cultures in our country and be sensitive to it.
Identifying the core players that will take the team forward to 2023 will be key in relaying the team culture to the players coming in and those already in the squad.
The Stronger Together team campaign is one I love. This should be the culture and motto of the team, forever in my books.
Then there is language.
We’ve seen how a language barrier can cause teams to struggle big time.
Take Arsenal and Unai Emery for example.
They have 13 different nationalities in a first-team squad of 26, with English being the second or even third language of most of the players.
In Emery, they have a coach that really struggles to communicate in English.
That makes it difficult to get the message through to every single one in the team.
DICTATOR: Tendai Mtawarira said Jake White, right was a dictator. Picture: Tertius Pickard.
Anyway, that type of language barrier won’t be a problem in SA.
To speak out of one mouth is a problem though.
Recently-retired Bok prop Beast Mtawarira wrote in his autobiography that Jake White treated them like children, not allowing the Springboks to drink a beer after a match.
South Africans are sensitive people, like it or not.
LONG-TIME DISCIPLE: Johann van Graan has experience. Picture: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix.
Gone are the days of the dictator leader, you will soon get a hashtag, followed by must fall.
So the coach has to be someone that can speak the language of the foot soldiers and a respected mentor, with whom you can share freely.
Rassie was the complete package. He changed the culture of the team, he listened to his players, he had their respect, knew what it meant to play for the Springboks and had the rugby knowledge to complete the task.
There isn’t a more suitable candidate for the big job in this country.
Therefore, Saru has to look for a Rassie clone.
UP IN DOWN UNDER: Dave Wessels. Picture: rugby.com.au
As far as head coaches go, that clone is Rebels coach Dave Wessels.
The former Ikey studied Erasmus during his time at the Stormers and went on to be successful in Australia.
But Rassie has evolved since those days and while Wessels is a dark real horse, I doubt whether he will crack the nod.
DEEP IN: Mzwandile Stick. Picture: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix.
A better “clone” would be to go with Mzwandile Stick, who Rassie has taken under his wing in the last few years.
Another wildcard is current Munster coach Johan van Graan, who took over from Rassie at the Irish club and also spent time as Bok assistant during the Heyneke Meyer and Allister Coetzee days.
CLOSE: Jacques Nienaber, right. Picture: BackpagePix.
More realistically, though, is the appointment of either Jacques Nienaber or Deon Davids.
If Wessels is a clone, Nienaber is Rassie’s Siamese twin.
The Bok defence coach has been at the coach’s side forever and will be a true extension of Rassie’s ideas.
His lack of experience as a head coach will be a bother, though.
But seeing that he will basically just extend Rassie’s arm, I don’t see this as being a problem.
If head coaching experience is a requirement, then free-agent Davids, who spent some time in the Bok camp before the World Cup, becomes an option.
His win record with the Kings where he got sacked, will count against him though.
The decision is yours Saru
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za