Allister Coetzee has his feet under the desk and is settling in on his first day as South Africa’s new rugby coach.
South Africa confirmed the former Stormers coach as their new top dog, this afternoon, but revealed Coetzee had already been involved in a number of planning sessions for this summer.
Coetzee’s first Test match as Springboks coach will be against Ireland, on June 11. His new side will take on Joe Schmidt’s Ireland two more times after that.
The 52-year-old has international experience, as a former Boks assistant coach, and did some commendable Super Rugby deeds with the Stormers. He commented:
“This job comes with a huge amount of responsibility because our passionate fans rightfully demand the best from the Springboks at all times.
“Rugby ignites so much passion in our country. The team inspires all our people and every young rugby player in our country aspires to be a Springbok one day.
“I know full well that coaching the Springboks requires a lot of dedication, patience and hard work. I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity.”
One of Coetzee’s first tasks will be to appoint a new captain, following the international retirements of Jean de Villiers and Fourie du Preez. The new coach adroitly spelled out what he requires in a new captain:
“We put unnecessary pressure on our captains. It’s important for me to go out and meet certain players…
“Our captain must be instrumental in helping us win Test matches, not just to do good media interviews.”
The Boks are often judged on their results against their old Tri Nations foes, New Zealand and Australia. Coetzee, however, insists the next three Tests are the most important for his transitional side.
“As South Africans we are not scared of the All Blacks,” he said. “For now though, our emphasis is on Ireland.”
