Coetzee carrying Heyneke's hopes
Heyneke Meyer's decision to replace Bok ball-thief Heinrich Brussow with tornado-like debutant Marcell Coetzee is the defining selection in his first Springbok team.
Meyer is a man of conviction and has shown that he is not afraid to make big calls by discarding the experienced Brussow and instead opting for the eager young Sharks flank who has not yet finished his first season of Super Rugby, but the decision says a lot more about the approach the Boks will adopt in the new coach's debut at the helm against England this weekend.
The Springbok coach has made it clear that he is not interested in deploying a traditional openside flank who competes for opposition ball, as the threat of giving away penalties is not a risk he is willing to entertain at Kings Park on Saturday.
Despite the fact that breakdown menaces such as Richie McCaw and David Pocock still play central roles for their national sides Meyer believes that the risk involved would be too great against an England team who admittedly do not have a "fetcher" of their own either.
This attitude was made clear by the selection of the explosive Coetzee, who has negligible experience in the No.6 jersey and has been instructed by his coach to stick to his natural game this weekend.
Coetzee has been told to back his destructive abilities as a hard-tackling, ball-carrying powerhouse, as Meyer would rather try and overwhelm England than roll the dice in the tackle area.
Coetzee explained to this website: "Coach Heyneke told me to just play my game and if I can make the steal I must go for it, but he would prefer not to give away penalties so I am just going to focus on my game more than that.
"There are a lot of areas where I can improve in that number six role, but I think the attributes that I bring helped a lot to get me here so I am not going to change anything that has helped me.
"We don't want to stand off penalties because in the international set-up it can cost you later in the game," he added.
Meyer has branded Coetzee as a "superstar" of the future, and it is easy to see why when you look at the impact he has made for the Sharks this year, but the new coach will be aware of exactly how much is resting on Coetzee's young shoulders as his selection in some way defines the gameplan that the Boks will adopt to beat England.
It is an intriguing tactical call that will undoubtedly come under the microscope of a host of critics, but Meyer has taken responsibility for the decision, and by giving Coetzee clear instructions to play to his strengths the pressure is squarely on the coach rather than the 21-year-old.
"I originally started as an eighthman and a seven flank so I have always had that ball-carrying ability and ability to make the hit, and moving to six I decided that I am not going to change my game because that is what has got me to where I am today," said Coetzee.
One factor which may make Coetzee's Test match baptism a little less fiery is the fact that he will be playing at his home ground alongside six other Sharks players.
He commented: "If I think back I made all my debuts at Kings Park, whether it was Under-19, Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup and Super Rugby, so making my international debut there as well is a huge blessing for me.
"They [senior Sharks players] just bring that confidence for you. I have been with them at the Sharks so they will just bring that ease of comfort and confidence going into the game," Coetzee explained.
Meyer himself has shown plenty of confidence by making such a contentious selection, but the major challenge for the new coach will be to get his team to express the same belief on the pitch this weekend.
By Michael de Vries, in Durban
