World Cup winning Springbok Chester Williams has been named as the new coach of the Emerging SA team, who will defend their IRB Nations Cup title in Romania next month.
He succeeds new Springbok coach Peter de Villiers who led the team to the title in 2007, according to a SAPA report on News24.
Boland coach Deon Davids will act as assistant coach to Williams in a seven-man management team.
The team again face 2007 Rugby World Cup finalists Georgia (June 11) and Romania (June 20) as well as Italy A (June 15).
Williams is perfectly placed to understand the challenges the Emerging SA team will face as he is currently coaching in Romania as director of rugby for Dinamo Bucharest.
“The national team has been together here for two years and they always qualify for the World Cup,” said Williams. “It will be quite tough to come here and expect to beat them – we will have to work hard to achieve a result.”
Williams has spent three months with Dinamo, leading them to the league title and into Sunday’s national cup final after which he will return to South Africa.
“It’s great to know that I can get back into the system with SA Rugby,” he said. “I have been following the Vodacom Super 14 very closely through television and I’m sure we can put out a very strong team.”
The squad will be named shortly before assembling in Cape Town on May 26 for a training camp before departure on June 7.

You could pick a very interesting team for this completion.
1 Beast (if eligible)
2 Maku
3 Cilliers
4 Duncan (capt)
5 Steenkamp
6 Brüssow
7 Louw
8 Vermeulen
9 Vermaak
10 Dollie
11 Nokwe
12 Barritt
13 Jonker
14 O Ndungane
15 Ludik
16 Reynecke
17 Geldenhuys
18 Fonde
19 Daniel
20 Adams
21 Francis
22 Rose
We should in a ‘normal’ world have a Bok 22… RSA ‘A’ to play decent opposition and be back up…. and the Emerging Boks made up of sub 25 yr olds… and players never been capped…
However I can taste the window dressing gravy from this side of the Tasman already…
Rob,
I’ve fixed the article title for you… 😛
I really have no time for Monsieur Williams after he ran awayu from yet another coaching job the other day when things didnt work out his way.
i was wondering, Vin 😉
He’s coached on the sevens circuit with som moderate success but after that failed at the Lions, ran away from a job at WP (and France?). Same story in Uganda (or Ghana) by all accounts.
I give him six months before he gets bored or throws his toys out of the cot after falling out with somebody.
“Coach” of nine lives…
his coaching (in)ability could cost a player or two their careers if he stuffs up as a coach.
I wish him all the best. However his 15 a side coaching record is nothing to write home about.
He is certainly paying his dues, by coaching in these far off places.
@racheltjiedebeer (Comment 8) : unless you’re writing home to say “please send help” 🙂
@VinChainSaw (Comment 6) :
You left out his stint at Witbank with the Pumas
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 11) : Not a huge success, if memory serves
ESPN Classic showed the 2000 Boks vs the BaaBaa’s match from Cardiff. Chester was really good in that game – got 2 good tries and Breyton 3. One tends to forget how nippy Breyton was.
On to the coaching – I predict that Chesters 15 man record is about to get a whole lot better.