RYAN VREDE (of KEO) writes that Rassie Erasmus is on Heyneke Meyer’s radar but he continues to struggle to fill the other voids in his coaching team.
Erasmus hasn’t been formally interviewed yet but Meyer is an admirer and he is likely to appoint him as his technical analyst shortly. Erasmus has modelled himself on Meyer, particularly from a structure building perspective. They shared ideas often when Erasmus was director of rugby at Western Province and his work ethic and sharp mind appeals to Meyer. (some folk have not appreciated how sharp Rassie is!!)
The role would suit Erasmus perfectly. He excels at dissecting matches, studying individuals and teams and trying to establish predictable patterns in the opposition that would give his side an edge. Furthermore he is famously media-shy and not very receptive to criticism. A behind-the-scenes role therefore is a better fit than assistant coach would be.(This is nonsense. I saw Rassie talking to a gathering and he was quite at ease - they are building a myth in this regard)
Who fills the remaining roles remains a mystery. Meyer’s preferred choices are all contracted, leaving him in a difficult position of having to settle for coaches who are available or convincing the South African Rugby Union to pay significant compensation fees in a bid to convince franchises to release the coaches he wants.
Meyer is desperate to lure Bulls defence coach John McFarland to the Springboks. The Englishman had been a trusted lieutenant at the Bulls. Meyer had previously tried to recruit McFarland to the Leicester Tigers when he coached the Premiership side and has always spoken highly of his aptitude.
However, any deal there is unlikely, as is one for Bulls forwards coach Johann van Graan (contracted until end 2012). The relationship between the Bulls and Saru was fractured when the governing body convinced Meyer to engage the exit clause in his contract with the Pretoria franchise. They are highly unlikely to be open to an approach for another of their senior coaches (McFarland is contracted until the end of 2013).
With Jacques Nienaber, who has forged the Stormers into a granitic defensive unit, under contract until the end of 2012, there are no available South African-based alternatives.
Meyer will not consider employing an overseas-based coach, which further limits his options. He had previously maintained that he would always seek to employ the best available coaches no matter their nationality. In 2007 he added Australian attack coach Todd Louden to his staff. Louden had an immediate and patent impact, refining and adding dimensions to the Bulls’ play. He later worked with the Waratahs before coaching in Japan and is currently employed as the director of rugby at Sydney University.
Springboks players and the South African rugby fraternity were sceptical of the Australian pair of Les Kiss and Tim Lane, employed by Harry Viljoen in 2001. I’d like to believe the players and public have matured and would embrace the right foreigner. That said, Meyer is determined to employ a locally-based coach.
Reports have suggested that Sevens coach Paul Treu is being considered as backline coach. Unless it is an appointment forced on Meyer I can’t see it being one he would support. Treu is a fine man and excellent Sevens coach, but he has no experience coaching in the 15-man code. It would be a worse appointment than the one that saw Dick Muir elevated. Muir’s fanciful philosophies were soon exposed as just that and shelved in favour of a more pragmatic approach. At the end of his tenure he was little more than a well-paid adviser. That type of error cannot be replicated.
It is unlikely that former Saracens and current SA U20 coach Brendan Venter would be receptive to any advance. He has consistently stressed that the reason he resigned from his post at the English club was to spend more time with his family and build his medical practice. Working with Meyer and Erasmus may, however, be incentive enough for him to reconsider.
Meyer is in an unenviable position and how he negotiates this challenge will be crucial to his success with the Springboks
Get in Rassie and Venter and we will have the smartest Bok coaching staff in many a year!!!!!
