Saru said it would not discuss the issue of Bok coach and that its next comment on the matter would be the announcement of the man for the job at an extraordinary meeting of the general council.

A formal shortlist of candidates has never been made public although members of the executive council will know the names of the possible candidates at least 24 hours before the final candidate is presented to the general council.

“The skills and qualities required by a Springbok coach are confined to only a small number of potential candidates,” Roux said.

THE Springbok coaching rumour mill has been a merry-go-round of late and on the last loop, former Bok forwards coach Gert Smal appeared to be the man tagged favourite to replace Peter de Villiers. Smal, Ireland’s forwards coach, is the frontrunner but there is a snag. He extended his contract with Ireland in July, ensuring a future with the Emerald greens until mid-2013.

The executive council of the SA Rugby Union (Saru) has called a special general meeting in January to ratify the appointment of the new Springbok coach. Saru said today the meeting would take place in Cape Town on January 27. The meeting was required by the federation’s constitution, which specified that the appointment of the Springbok coach had to be approved by the general council to become official.

The general council would receive a recommendation from the executive council, which would meet a day earlier, to finalise the selection process.

Saru said it would make no further comment on the appointment of a new Bok coach until an appointment was confirmed.

“Three coaches won the World Cup four years ago and none of them were kept on. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realise that when we got knocked out in the quarterfinals it was a huge disappointment. Our contracts were up. That’s the way it was.”

“We knew where we stood and had to look for new opportunities. The Bok coaching situation wasn’t a consideration for me because I thought they would approach Gert Smal,” said Gold.

With Gold departing tomorrow to take up the position of director of rugby at the Premiership’s bottom team, the focus will return to the men rumoured to be on the Bok coach short list: Smal, Peter de Villiers, Heyneke Meyer and Allister Coetzee.

Blue Bulls executive of rugby coaching Heyneke Meyer is leading the race to become the next Springbok coach. He is closely followed by Ireland’s forwards coach, Gert Smal, in what has become a two-horse race. Meyer is believed to be the new first choice to take over from Peter de Villiers as it may be financially more viable for him to be released from his contract than it would be for the European based coach.

“The job should be his if he wants to take it,” a source close to the developments told The New Age yesterday.

Although the Bulls are legally not allowed to discuss the details of Meyer’s contract, it can safely be assumed that the first South African coach to have lifted a Super Rugby trophy has made provision for an exit clause this time round.

“The Blue Bulls Company cannot comment on the content of Mr Meyer’s contract but, as in the past, we will not stand in his way should he decide to pursue a career at national level,” Bulls high performance manager Ian Schwartz said yesterday.

Negotiations between the coaches and the South African Rugby Union (Saru) are, however, at a sensitive stage, which means that although the appointment is expected to be announced on January 27, it could be delayed if an agreement is not reached.