Yes, astounding I know, especially since this was so unexpected! SA Rugby have confirmed that newly-appointed (former) Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus will additionally act as head coach of the national side until 2023.
Erasmus will be aided by right-hand man Jacques Nienaber, who returned alongside him from Ireland to rejoin the SA Rugby ranks. Scrum coach Pieter de Villiers is about the only member of the management team to retain his job, whilst Erasmus has recalled much-maligned Mzwandile Stick as backline coach. Let’s just remember for a second or two quite how much stick (eh he he) was handed out to previous coach Allister Coetzee when he did the same thing two years ago.
Anyway – new broom and all that, so let’s wish Rassie all the best and hope he manages to see out his 6-year contract. He’ll need to win some games, oh yes!
The Springbok management team is:
Head Coach: Rassie Erasmus
Assistant Coaches: Jacques Nienaber, Pieter de Villiers, Mzwandile Stick
Head of Athletic Performance: Aled Walters
Technical Analyst: Lindsay Weyer
Team Doctor: Konrad von Hagen
Head of Operations: Charles Wessels
Physiotherapists: Vivian Verwant, Rene Naylor, Tanu Pillay
Logistics Manager: JJ Fredericks
Media Manager: Rayaan Adriaanse
PR Manager: Annelee Murray
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Me<———– flabbergasted…
Next you’ll spring surprises like boks actually winning a game or two…
I would have never guessed!!! Wow what a surprise? What a start to 2018…new state President, new national coach so the 2018 Sharks SupeRugby title is still very much achievable
@DuToit04 (Comment 3) : Do they still say State president or just president?
Well lets see what they can do. Tough tests against England await and it doesnt get easier after that…
@coolfusion (Comment 4) : They don’t say either on this site….
@SheldonK (Comment 5) : Although England haven’t looked great against Italy and lost against scotland
@robdylan (Comment 6) : Yes miss…
6 years? Surely that will be some kind of record if he sees it out?
@McLovin (Comment 9) : Indeed. Nice pay out for him if they fire him. This is south African rugby afterall we have fired coaches who won the world cup
@coolfusion (Comment 7) : As they say its tough at the top(well nearly top). England is June will still be very tough, much much tougher than France were last year.
@Poisy (Comment 10) : Indeed. 😐
Jeepers but Rassie must be Royal game or something – his wish is SARU’s command.
As for Stick, we will see but I know I was not too critical of him being there but more on the selection of him after all he had a “world cup winning backline coach” above him that could help him if needed.
Hmmm…Stick…without any other expertise in that team in the backline department? I don’t know about that…
@DuToit04 (Comment 3) : Yep, and both their predecessors were fired effectively giving them extra time in office.
@robdylan (Comment 6) : apologies for the politics 😳
So Brendan the consultant is out too? Yup I agree having stick there by himself is like having no one there at all. Maybe they’re still shopping?
@pastorshark (Comment 14) : Maybe its a cunning plan, a crutch/ scapegoat if you like, that all can fall back on to blame if things dont go the boks way, Walk away young Stick before they sucker punch you…..again. 😈
The rugby legend, Mzwandile Stick in the middle of things again, nice!
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 18) : What? Saru involved a conspiracy against one of their own employees ? Never! 😆
Well, lets see, maybe he was instructed to do certain things under AC, but our backline kinda sucked the last 2 years.
@DuToit04 (Comment 16) : no need to apologise. It wasn’t bad, but I just like to nip things in the bud
I notice that once they scapegoated Stick and replaced him with Franco Smith, things stayed about the same.
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Yeah, that’s true so I’ll give the man a fair chance. I’m just wondering if there were absolutely no other candidates(in the whole world) with better credentials at all available?
@Quintin (Comment 23) : I think Mzwandile is a very good coach, but I just don’t see why he has to go from Kings u19 straight to Boks.
Guys i hate to say it but there is a slim chance that the Bok backline play will be the cornerstone of Rassie’s Boks. It will be a very focussed forward effect with the backs there to try and finish off tries and just tackle. Those thinking this will be a free flowing backline orientated Bok team think.
@robdylan (Comment 24) : ” do you know what,do you know who,let’s keep this between me and you” 😉 😛
@SheldonK (Comment 25) : That would be going backwards, but hey anything is possible.
I just want the boks winning again and more importantly to beat the all blacks home and away
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Let’s just pray things work out for everyone involved and we focus on some damn rugby and results only.
Me I’d rather have p.divvy back but that’s not gonna happen again 🙁 so anyone is fine with me so long they bring results
@SheldonK (Comment 25) : Which is sad since SA is producing some very exciting backs by the shitload this year. Dyantyi Mapimpi Nkosi Am van Wyk
@coolfusion (Comment 29) : Rob du Preez, Shreuder, Janse v Rensburg this list goes on and on…
@Poisy (Comment 27) : @coolfusion (Comment 29) : When last did the Boks win games because of their backline? Most of the Bok winning teams have been a forward orientated game with the backline just finishing things off.
@SheldonK (Comment 31) : Yip, Stormers rugby of 4-5 years ago.
@SheldonK (Comment 31) : Is that the book formula? Is it not a bit limited and predictable? How often has that helped us dominate the scene?
Back in 2009, Morné Steyn beat the All Blacks all by himself.
@fyndraai (Comment 34) : Well your joke nothwithstanding what do you do on the day when your forwards are outmatched. You should be able to let them go through the basics and rely on a superior backline game to keep you in or even win. Shouldn’t you?
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Ja like they say “een swaeltjie maak nie n somer!”
@coolfusion (Comment 35) :
Notwithstanding that it was no joke, on the day your forwards are out-matched and you have a running backline you will lose the match.
Exactly like what happened to the All Blacks on that memorable day.