The South African Rugby Union (Saru) faces some serious dilemmas in the months to come. It has to find a credible way to get the Eastern Cape-based Southern Kings into the Super 15. It has to decide whether to paper over the cracks that have appeared in Sanzar (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia Rugby) or to forge ahead with a northern hemisphere alliance. And now it has to grasp the nettle of what to do with the national side.
Until the spectacular last-minute “crash in the Calabash” it seemed as though the ship was in the process of righting itself. Over the years cornered Springbok teams have always been able to rouse themselves for one mighty effort when required. Jake White’s 2006 team also failed to win on tour in the Tri-Nations and was then humbled at Loftus Versfeld. But a week later an André Pretorius drop goal salvaged a 21-20 win in Rustenburg and White kept his job.
In the next two weeks the coaching triumvirate of Peter de Villiers, Dick Muir and Gary Gold has to emulate White’s great escape if they are to take the team to defend their title in New Zealand at next year’s World Cup. The opponents are Australia and history is on the side of the Boks.
The last Australian team to win on the Highveld was led by the great scrumhalf Ken Catchpole in 1963. Catchpole’s genius was instrumental in securing a 2-1 series win for the Wallabies, the first achieved by a nation then regarded as something of a rugby minnow. The achievement was not appreciated by the South African rugby establishment, but their umbrage may pall into insignificance if the Boks lose their next two Tests.
It is hard to believe that official backing of the coaching set-up will endure if that were to be the case. Ian McIntosh, now a national selector, was unfairly removed from the coaching position in 1994 after defeat in a Test series in New Zealand. His successor, Kitch Christie, embarked on what he called “an ambulance job” with just less than a year at the helm prior to the 1995 World Cup. History records that he was successful in resuscitating the Springboks.
So there is enough time for a new coaching set-up to come aboard — the question is merely whether there is the political will for it to happen. The list of candidates is not long. Rassie Erasmus, Alister Coetzee and Heyneke Meyer would each offer credible alternatives.
Jake White has mischievously thrown his hat into the ring and there is the outside chance that Dick Muir might escape the fallout in the event that De Villiers is given his marching orders.
De Villiers is clearly in denial at the moment. Following last Saturday’s defeat, he said: “I have watched the video of the match over and over again and what I have realised is that I got too caught up in winning and losing last week and didn’t focus enough on the team performance. We were five to seven minutes away from glory. If I was to make it personal and to say they played for me, then I would have to say the players really stood up for me. That makes me feel really good.”
When the coach of the national side describes a desperate backs-to-the-wall performance on the back of three hidings as “five to seven minutes away from glory”, we have clearly entered the Twilight Zone. This week’s selection, with its two changes from the side defeated in Soweto, also had the coach bemoaning his fate, as fullback Gio Aplon dropped out of the 22 in favour of François Steyn.
“Gio did not do anything wrong, but we have an opportunity to see Frans play,” he said. “He also offers us another kicking option, which will take some pressure off Morné Steyn.”
This begs the question: Why do you need to “see Frans play”? The precocious Racing Metro player already has a World Cup winner’s medal and if you want to watch him play then tune into SuperSport’s coverage of the French Top 14 tournament. Now, with the Tri-Nations surrendered and a Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland on the horizon, is not the time to review known quantities. Now is the time to be bold.
It seems that part of the reason for selecting Frans Steyn is the perceived frailty of his namesake at flyhalf. Yet it is painfully obvious why Morné Steyn is having a bad time: he hasn’t got Fourie du Preez calling the shots alongside him at scrumhalf. Dropping Aplon and picking Frans Steyn is reminiscent of the old saw: a camel is a horse designed by a committee.
Much will no doubt be made this week of a previous meeting between South Africa and Australia in Pretoria. In 1997 another beleaguered coach, Carel du Plessis, spoke to the players in the dressing room prior to his final Test in charge. He said: “Go out and express yourselves.” The Springboks won 61-22 and embarked on a record-breaking unbeaten run under new coach Nick Mallet.
Thirteen years down the line history beckons someone other than De Villiers.