Bok job - Who's next in line?

In the aftermath of Sunday’s news that Peter de Villiers would be stepping down as Springbok coach after four years in charge, we thought we would take a stab at choosing his possible replacement.

Love him or hate him, P Divvy certainly entertained us during his four-year (48-game) tenure and the next Bok boss will certainly find himself under the microscope too.

So, who then are the contenders to follow in the footsteps of De Villiers, Jake White, Rudolf Straeuli, Harry Viljoen, Nick Mallett (to name just a few before him)?

Well, it would be hard to argue against the claims of Allister Coetzee and names like Rassie Erasmus and Heyneke Meyer will always crop up. And what about some darkhorses like the two Kiwi Johns – Mitchell and Plumtree – or promoting Bok assistant coach Gary Gold to the top job?

You would have to think that all five of SA’s Super Rugby coaches would be contenders – otherwise why else are they coaching at that level? – and there are also a few other contenders in SA.

Someone like SA Under-20 coach Dawie Theron is kicking about and it would be remiss of us not to mention Nick Mallett’s name – after all he has been ‘shortlisted’ for every top rugby job since resigning as Bok boss in 2000. (For those unsure – mentioning Mallett is simply a stab at humour… we need some laughs in SA today!)

And what, too, about SA Sevens boss Paul Treu; would he ever think about moving into a top fifteen-a-side coaching job?

And is Brendan Venter – although quite a far-out contender – a name worth mentioning now that he’s back in SA? (And despite still serving as Saracens’ technical advisor.)

With all of that in mind, we take a look at some potential contenders as Peter de Villiers’s replacement:
(In alphabetical order)

ALLISTER COETZEE:
The Western Province and Stormers coach is a better coach than he was in 2008 – when many wanted him to take over from White. He is media-savvy enough (even if he tends to be a bit clichéd) and he has the experience of having served under White for four years – including the 2007 World Cup win in France.
Pros: He has coached the likes of Bekker, Burger, Fourie – all of whom are expected to form the nucleus of the Bok side moving forward. He has done okay with WP in the 2011 Currie Cup – despite his limited resources.
Cons: For all the promise shown with the Stormers and WP, they have not won a trophy under him and have imploded in two finals (Currie Cup and Super Rugby) and one home semifinal (Super Rugby) in recent years.

NAKA DROTSKÉ:
A Currie Cup winner – as a player and coach – Drotské continues to produce good results at provincial level, despite struggling at Super Rugby level where the Cheetahs’ depth has always worked against them.
Pros: He has done well with limited resources at the Cheetahs – unearthing some good talent in the process; a name like Johan Goosen topping that list at present.
Cons: Coaching the Cheetahs, in a small, rugby-mad town is a very, very different prospect to taking on the Bok job. He also recently signed a new three-year contract with the Cheetahs – they would not be keen to let him go.

RASSIE ERASMUS:
Erasmus has, for long, been considered as something of a coaching messiah. He achieved a lot with Free State – including three Currie Cup wins – and has since helped rebuild WP Rugby, even though they have no senior trophies to show for their efforts.
Pros: One of SA’s most astute rugby brains, he played a big role as a technical advisor to the Boks ahead of the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. Always capable of thinking out of the box and he has unearthed a host of new, young stars in Cape Town during his time in charge at Western Province.
Cons: What does he want to do? Does he want to remain in charge of WP? What about his rugby version of cricket’s IPL? Did he make any friends with SARU’s – and the IRB’s – top brass by attempting that little venture? Does he want the Springbok coaching job?

GARY GOLD:
Why are assistant coaches always tarred with the same brush as their bosses? Gold has added plenty value in the Bok set-up under De Villiers and a case could be made for him to stay involved in some capacity – at worst.
Pros: He’s been part of the Bok camp under De Villiers these past four years – he knows the systems and would provide some continuity moving forward. He is well-travelled and is a hard worker behind the scenes.
Cons: See above – that works for and against him; for good reason(s) and bad.

FRANS LUDEKE:
Ludeke, 43, has many supporters up north – in Pretoria. He knows his rugby and has been around for a while, having coached at SWD and the Lions too.
Pros: He has been involved in the Bok set-up before – albeit as an assistant. He would have the Bulls support – although would that still exist in the Bok squad without Matfield, Du Preez and co.?
Cons: How much of his success – two Super Rugby titles and a Currie Cup win – has been based on the work of Heyneke Meyer before him? Would his poor results at the Lions count against him?

HEYNEKE MEYER:
The 44-year-old would be the peoples’ choice – the question is; is he available for the job after the way he was treated in 2008 (when Divvy controversially got the job ahead of him)? He has won multiple titles and has, over the years, been the ‘go-to’ man for the likes of Matfield, Du Preez, etc.
Pros: Probably the most outstanding man for the job – his CV speaks for itself.
Cons: He recently moved into a new position at the Bulls – that of ‘Executive: Rugby’. He has gone on record as saying he would not be available – but would he say no if his demands were met? Also, with all his senior Bulls men out of the picture, would the players want him so badly?

JOHN MITCHELL:
The former All Blacks coach seems to have found his calling in South Africa – having been released from his job with the Force to make the full-time move to SA last year. (Was that Dick Muir’s best coaching move ever?) He has done very well in the 2011 Currie Cup, guiding his team to a home semifinal (ironically their first since under the tutelage of another Kiwi, Laurie Mains, in 1999), and getting them to play some exciting rugby in the process.
Pros: He has the experience at the highest level with the All Blacks, even if it did end in tears at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, with a brilliant win/loss ration during his time in charge.
Cons: He’s a foreigner – despite having his own ‘truly SA’ moment when he found a criminal in his house last year. His Currie Cup success – so far – this season has been achieved without the rest of the country’s top players in action, all of whom have been on World Cup duty.

JOHN PLUMTREE:
A great pal of Mitchell’s and half a South African – in that he’s married to an SA woman and having played provincial rugby for the Natal Sharks in the 1990s. A deep thinker, with a very good track-record at provincial level and some success at Super Rugby level too.
Pros: He boasts success at the Sharks, having won Currie Cup titles in 2008 and 2010. He knows SA players very well, as well as NZ’s best players – having coached someone like Ma’a Nonu at provincial level back home.
Cons: He’s a foreigner. Some of his player management, at times, also seems a bit iffy – nevermind some odd recruitment happening at the Sharks.

PAUL TREU:
A bright man who is very passionate about what he does, many have tipped Treu for a bright future in (bigger) coaching. All that depends on whether he is interested in pursuing something at 15-a-side level or not.
Pros: He has achieved a lot with the SA Sevens team – leading them to the overall world title in the 2008/09 season and helped shape a host of big-name players in their younger days.
Cons: He is entrenched as the Springbok Sevens coach. Why would he want to leave that relative comfort the job entails?

Our final verdict:
As tempting as it might be to give foreigners like Mitchell or Plumtree a go (imagine them as a combination?), one cannot look further than Coetzee or Erasmus as the likely – and more realistic – options right now.

* What do you think? Who would YOUR pick be as the new Bok coach?