Choose the one best coach

We had PdV, whose teams were largely self coached......and Coetzee who delegated far too much to Smith and Venter. None of these guys have been in charge. Now we have Rassie in the High Performance Centre apparently all set to pull the strings of a new coach.....the candidates for coach clearly being below the standard of the coaches of top international teams. This is all nonsense. The Springboks are the High Performance Standard for the country. The best way to improve things is to get the Boks winning with positive rugby. That example will radiate out to all South African teams, down to school level. If Rassie wnts to be coach, he should ask to be considered. Save the funds from the HPC, add them to the head coach salary and get the best coach on the planet. And above all, get a hands on coach who wants to be accountable.

What did we have as coaches over the last 13 years? We had White - a good coach of forwards and utterly ignorant when it comes to backline play. Then there was De Villiers whose garbage was so unbelievable that a clique of players took over with one objective - to protect their own interests without any regard to the interest of the team. Next was Meyer - totally ignorant about any game plan and stuck on players he knew and as far as he is concerned believe that backlines are there to make up the numbers and to defend only. In competition with De Villiers and Coetzee as to the worst coach imaginable. Then there was Coetzee - totally clueless as WP/Stormers coach and then based on the principle that everyone is promoted to his own level of incompetence was appointed as coach. The problem was not his assistants - the problem was the main coach. Time to get an NZ coach and stop the rot.

Dr Mozzzzzzzz still imagining DR Venter had anything to do with the Bok backline debacle. Venter didnt pick the backs and Venter has NEVER before produced a backline so bereft of ideas. Venter was very highly regarded at Saracens and his record speaks for itself. Blaming Venter is absurd! Rassie is outstanding however how much clout has he got? Quotas no doubt are still in place for one. Does he for example have to chose a quota coach and thyen mentor him?

Anybody taking over as Bok coach is taking hold of a poisoned chalice. Its no use pretending that it is a ob similar to any other international coach.

Venter had more to do with the coaching of this Bok team than anybody. He was the de facto coach in the vacuum called Alistair Coetzee. Easily seen because it was Venter who reacted angrily when the team was criticized after drawing with Oz....he was emotionally invested. You get that way if it’s your toy.

Well, I don't think the players coached the team during Snorre's tenure. If that was the case, Matfield, Jean and FdP would have been top coaches by now. I think we had a settled team with a coach who somehow miraculously controlled the egos in the team to result in some greatness. Snorre sure as hell looked like some first class fool when he talked on TV, but he managed some magic in 2009. I don't think he gets enough credit for that.

Yes Draad, I would also like to see some irrefutable evidence that the players "coached themselves" during PdV's tenure. If there's something I missed, I'd be happy to be enlightened.

It was common knowledge that Smith and wee Matfiled coached the team. Snorre was too fast asleep to do the job and busy dreaming up weird things to tell the media! Hillarious stuff that actually outdid ou rooitwit and warped DUD! Low brow comedy was Snorre's real field of expertise. The joke of course was on the politically motivated morons who chose him. It was obvious White should have continued and Eddie would most likely have stayed on . Where would we be now!!

@Beeno. Common knowledge or common opinion?

It was widely reported by those who know windpomp - which of course excludes you! Bwahahahahahahaha

Who are "those who know"?

Pakie it was widely reported at the time. What gives you the idea ou Snorre was actually coaching the side. The oak was a total buffoon. Per ou PDV: WE look back at some of the gems from Springboks coach Peter de Villiers, who stepped down from the top job after his team's loss to the Wallabies. We brought you these quotes back in September before the tournament kicked off. Now, with his team out of the Rugby World Cup and de Villiers set to ride into the sunset, we thought it an opportune time to dig them out as we look at one of rugby's true characters. (10) "If I am the weakest line then we are bloody strong. I am a God-given talent. I am the best I can ever be. I know what I am and I don't give a damn.'' (9) "I am going to pull a rat out of the hat.'' (8) "Why don't we go to the nearest ballet shop, get some tutus and get a dancing shop going? There will be no eye gouging, no tackling, no nothing, and we will enjoy it.'' - Reacting to Schalk Burger eye gouging British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald (7) "There is little difference between winning and losing except you feel better after winning.'' (6) "Graham Henry is a good coach, but he is like me, he has a big mouth.'' - Commenting on the current New Zealand coach (5) "No one is born a rugby player. You are born a person who becomes a rugby player and I can enhance this with warmth and reach your soul and make you realise there is life after rugby.'' (4) "I always knew I was destined for something big - but I did not realise it would be this big (Springbok coach). Whatever job I did I always excelled at it, and quickly. Time is not a concern to me and I will work 24 hours to get a job done, knowing hard work is always rewarded.'' (3) "I will not change my style. If I change my style I will change Peter de Villiers and then I would have to tell God that he made a mistake when he made me.'' (2) "We are very organised at the moment (after winning 2009 Tri-Nations). We do not want to become a fruit salad.'' (1) "I have got a job to do. I think I am a strong individual, a strong character. I do not care what people think about me. I do not care what people say about me. It is what I think about me and myself - and I love myself a lot.'' HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

Widely reported or widely speculated? How difficult could it have been to take over and coach a squad that had at its core the squad that has just won the RWC? Even Allister Coetzee would have had better results with that squad. The 2008-11 Bok squad were light years ahead of the current lot. Remember that in those years we were highly competitive and have in Super Rugby and even won it twice, with two SA teams in the final on both occasions. That is why a bunch of guys like PDV, Gary Gold and Dick Miur could get the results they got. What was there that any of those coaches could teach players like Habana, JDV, Jaque Fourie, FDP, Bakkies, Victor, etc, etc?

A lot of people like to bash Jake White, but look what a great team of players he left behind for the next coach. Those same players bombed out in the previous world cup under Rudolph De Straueli. We had the likes of Big Joe, Burger, Matfield, van der Westhuizin, De Villiers , Jacque Fourie and year later Jakes comes in and wins the Tri Nations by putting 45 points past the all blacks at Ellis Park. In came Coetzee because we needed transformation in the coaching ranks and the boks backs started to go literally back wards. It was only our defence and tactical kicking + the insane number of intercepts that the likes of Habana, De Villiers and Pietersen made that won us the game. In come Eddie Jones and the boks backs all of sudden starts to function. We need Jake more than we think we do. I would bring him back, ask him to get us to the Semi's and then reward him with a series against the Lions. I would also ask him to bring in the next gen of coaches and bring Johan Ackerman back to take over from him ready for the next world cup

Lots of pie in the sky stuff on this thread. It is not as easy as dotting down a wish list and then choose the best one and voila, off you go. The heading is misleading. You do not just choose the best coach. In addition the crappy way th Boks are in is only part of the problem. The real problem is that SA rugby, as a whole, is nose deep in the brown stuff. Getting “the best coach” is like sticking Elastoplast on a broken leg.

Is it because Matfield is not playing for the Springboks anymore ad not the prospective Springbok coach - doffies?

Ag ou kotsgevreet, I'm sure that if Bruce Springsteen crapped in Zuma's porridge, you would find a way to prove that Matfield was involved.