Springbok coach addresses the elephant not in the room
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has been surprisingly laid back and even jovial for a man who began his new job with a loss. The 26-20 defeat to Ireland at Newlands ticked a few unwanted boxes, and also attracted some unwanted attention. It was the first Irish victory against the Springboks on South African soil. The fact that the men in green and gold (wearing white and green on the day) had an extra player for most of the game, was even more damning. In all fairness and unlike the heroic 14-man Ireland, Coetzee was not defensive in his assessment of the performance, mentioning how poor they were. Despite the hurt of the defeat, Toetie was still able to have a laugh when opportunities presented themselves. “The Northern Hemisphere teams are actually playing closer to Test match rugby compared to us, when we are in the Super 15, Super 18 environment or is it Super 20…” he mocked, before Siya Kolisi seated to his left, politely whispered “Super Rugby”. ...