SARU setting Boks up for failure
The South African Rugby Union's failure to appoint a new coach at the end of 2015 means the Springboks will fall further behind the likes of Southern Hemisphere rivals Australia and New Zealand.
According to reports the new Bok coach will only be announced at the end of March.
The delay in announcing a coach after Heyneke Meyer's departure could mean that SARU is having great difficulty in finding a successor or that they already have their man and are just keeping it under wraps for the right time to reveal all.
The latter, in my opinion, is highly unlikely as the Springbok coaching position is not an attractive option for any top rugby coach, local and international.
Who would want to coach a team that has a constant cloud of political pressure hanging over them regarding the number of black players in the team?
What coach would want to have transformation targets as a top priority, rather than winning on the field of play?
Those are the questions that needs to be raised based on SARU president Oregan Hoskins' answers at a media briefing in December.
"Transformation is a dynamic thing first of all, but I personally believe that whoever wants to apply for the job needs to know that transformation is going to be at the top of his agenda or else he should not apply," said Hoskins.
Transformation and other things aside, the new Bok coach still needs to have some success on the field and this is where the other big worry is.
Both the Wallabies and New Zealand have settled coaching teams, who will be well into their preparations for the 2016 international season by the time SARU announces a new coach.
Super Rugby also begins next month and Michael Cheika and Steve Hansen will be in discussion with Australia and New Zealand's Super Rugby coaches about specific plans going forward to benefit the national teams.
The new Springbok coach won't be afforded that luxury if he only takes up his post by the end of March as it would be difficult for the SA franchises to focus on new plans when they are well into their respective campaigns.
A new coach might also bring about a change of game plan and different selections, which might take a bit of time to work in terms of 
success on the field.
If it is an overseas candidate SARU is looking at, then it would have been beneficial for them to have appointed someone already.
This would not just afford him the opportunity to become accustomed to South African rugby and start his plans based on the players he will have at his disposal this year, but also look back at what happened in last year's World Cup campaign.
One got the sense that the team was always in a building phase under Meyer and they never really got going under his tutelage. A new cycle will start again this year so the Boks have not really had a settled look to them since 2011.
Whoever the new coach may be, local or international, he is going to need some time to try and get the Boks to the top once. Four years might not be enough.
By Warren Fortune
@FortuneWarren
@rugby365com
