The disharmony between Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his assistants Dick Muir and Gary Gold has reached a crescendo with De Villiers seemingly in a desperate search for new assistants before the Springboks embark on their end-of-year Grand Slam tour.
Vata Ngobeni – The Star
Even though the South African Rugby Union stated in their press release after De Villiers’ review meeting with his employers this week that the current Springbok management would stay intact for the European tour, it has emerged that De Villiers had gone on a frantic search over the weekend with Bulls coach Frans Ludeke and Western Province coach Allister Coetzee being his main targets.
De Villiers had hoped that Ludeke would take over the reigns from Gold as forwards coach while former Bok assistent coach Coetzee would replace Muir as backline coach.
SportStar has it on good authority that De Villiers contacted the pair over the weekend asking them if they were willing to work alongside him until next year’s World Cup in New Zealand with Coetzee then taking over as head coach after the World Cup.
The problem for De Villiers, though, is that he was unable to guarantee Coetzee and Ludeke jobs post-World Cup and that would have been a major deterrent for both coaches, whose jobs are secured by contracts with their respective unions for the next three years.
However, De Villiers’ flirtations with Ludeke and Coetzee fell flat as both coaches declined to vacate their current positions for one-year contracts that could see them jobless after next year’s World Cup.
Ludeke declined to comment on the matter, stating that he had a contract with the Bulls which ran up until 2013.
“I cannot comment on that. It is a privilege and honour for anyone to be involved with the national team, especially as a South African, but I have a contract with the Bulls. I can’t say anything more than that,” was Ludeke’s response.
De Villiers and Saru had tried to lure Bulls director of rugby Heyneke Meyer, Stormers director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and former All Blacks and now Lions coach John Mitchell as advisors to De Villiers. All three declined.
Muir and Gold seem to be the sacrificial lambs for the Boks’ disastrous Tri-Nations campaign, but the fact that nobody is willing to work with De Villiers leaves the Springbok coach in a precarious position.
good day all
damn it feels funny to get a minute or 2 to blog 🙄
Me thinks PDiv is not going to find someone willing, As head coach he is responsible and it seems only in SA can that be overlooked for obscure reasons.
I have not been one for shouting for PDivs head , but at the present level of problems things need to happen fast , or we can kiss any chances in the WC goodbye.
I also can understand the refusel of coaches not to want to work with PDiv, with all the rumours and problems etc they would be stupid to give up a settled position they have and walk into uncertanty.
Is it not the norm for coaches to want to coach and help their country???????????????
There must be bigger problems then what we think….
Jake White will say yes
3@ rugbybal:
I wonder if Jake White would say yes to work UNDER Snorrie… we know he’s offered to TAKE OVER FROM Snorrie to do the ambulance job.
Not that I want Jake back in any way, anyway….
Bring back Jake.
I’d love to see Brendan Venter thrown in with Divvy…not for the results as I dont think it will ever work but just to see how Brendan messes with Div’s head. PDV will start blowing smoke out of his ears and eventually just fall apart.
@ sharky_forever:
Agree with what you say, but think Jake is the way to go, if him and Snor can put egos aside, it could work.
val op jou swaard pdv en doen alle bok fans n guns
Peter stuur almal in hul peetjie , fire Muir en Gold en stel John Smit en Habana/F du Preez aan as jou hulp afrigters. Maak sommer Victor jou konsultant en bou n happy family. At least sal julle fun he en dink net as die deur weer so oopgaan, as die ABs uitval, soos in Frankryk, dalk oorwin julle weer die wereld.
And the bok emblem won’t be on the chest for RWC.
Saru can’t even get that right.
Joy joy all round in SA rugby. It aint a circus – a circus is far more organized.
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