Cape Town — There have been some critics who didn’t agree with the New Zealand Rugby Union opting to announce the appointment of Scott Robertson as the next All Black coach this week, six months before the Rugby World Cup in France.
But I don’t mind it at all. In fact, it is a decisive move by the Kiwis that ends all speculation about the immediate future.
Ian Foster hasn’t covered himself in glory since taking over from Steve Hansen in 2020 and if the All Blacks had lost to the Springboks at Ellis Park last August, he would have been fired and Robertson appointed immediately.
New Zealand followed up that 35-22 win in South Africa with a first defeat to Argentina, a 25-18 reverse in Christchurch. They are unbeaten in seven Tests since, with their last outing a 25-25 draw against England at Twickenham, but they are far from being World Cup favourites.
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Should there be a Springbok coaching succession plan? Sometimes things should be allowed to happen naturally, as it certainly did with the Crusaders boss coming along and winning six Super Rugby titles in a row.
The former All Black loose forward was already at the front of the queue to replace Hansen in 2019 as he had already claimed three Super titles.
What should SA Rugby do? Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber reportedly recently signed contract extensions until 2025, having initially been given an unprecedented six-year deal — in South African rugby — in 2018.
The 2019 World Cup triumph provided the two friends more credit, but even if they decide to continue until the 2027 World Cup in Australia, they will eventually hang up their coaching whistles.
Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick seems to be the “in-house man” who may be next in line, considering that he was placed in charge of the SA ‘A’ side that toured Europe last November.
Stick is a popular member of the management team and has been lauded for his work with the likes of Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe.
He lacks head-coaching experience, having only really been at the helm of the Eastern Province Under-19 that won the provincial championship in 2015.
But as the appointment of Nienaber in 2020 proved, head-coaching experience is not necessary for SA Rugby when it comes to the main Bok role, so Stick may be the favourite.
Bok forwards coach Deon Davids is an experienced mentor too — with several head coach jobs behind his name — but he only joined the national team in 2020.
The favourite “outsider” has to be Stormers boss John Dobson, who not only guided his team to United Rugby Championship glory last season, but has backed it up with another excellent current campaign.
The attacking style of rugby the Capetonians play has also captured the imagination of South African rugby fans, and Dobson has cultivated commendable depth to ensure that Western Province are also competitive in the Currie Cup — and all of that was done against the backdrop of the union being under administration.
It must be noted that Dobson has embraced transformation fully, and revitalised the careers of a number of top-class players of colour such as Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse, Marvin Orie, Hacjivah Dayimani, Seabelo Senatla, Leolin Zas, Warrick Gelant and Clayton Blommetjies, amongst others, and provided opportunities to youngsters like Suleiman Hartzenberg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
There may also be well-travelled foreign coaches interested in the Bok post.
But perhaps a combination of Stick and Dobson would work wonders for the Boks in future.
IOL Sport