Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer will not walk away from the job even though he has come in for some fair and unfair criticism over recent weeks after the Boks claimed third place at the World Cup.

Third in itself wouldn’t have been a disaster‚ especially as the Boks took the All Blacks‚ unquestionably the best team ever‚ to the wire in an epic semifinal duel. South Africa lost 20-18.

But losing 34-32 to Japan in their opening game cast a pall over the entire tournament.

Yet Meyer is defiant and believes he can be part of the solution to finding a way forward for the Boks even though the professional landscape in South Africa is increasingly stacked against excellence.

“I’m a proud man and see it as a honour to coach the Boks‚” Meyer said.

“But like I’ve said to my children‚ we as Meyers do not ever give up and we never give up on each other.

“I lost 11 out of 11 with the Bulls. I was fired‚ vilified and spat at‚ but I came back every time and the team won trophies and eventually the Super Rugby title.

“In one season we lost four of our first five and everyone wrote the Bulls off‚ but we came back to make the semifinals‚ so giving up is not in my make-up.

“Leadership is about being able to stand in front when times are tough‚ not when it’s going well. I’m excited about our team and the quality of youngsters coming through.

“It took five years of full-time coaching at Super Rugby level to win the title‚ so it’s tough‚ but I will never walk away.”

Meyer has admitted to mistakes but an honest assessment of the Boks cannot ignore the declining standards of provincial rugby in South Africa.

The Stormers were the only team to make the Super Rugby play-offs this year‚ and that only because they were the SA Conference winners. Their total points would have left them seventh on the standings.

Playing styles vary at each union‚ unlike in New Zealand‚ where skills training‚ game plans and player contracting is all done with the betterment of the All Blacks in mind.

There is no way that South Africa‚ or any other nation‚ will catch up to the All Blacks unless there is a concerted‚ strategic plan to gear everything towards the excellence of the test team.

All Black coach Steve Hansen was quick to mention this immediately after the All Blacks beat Australia 34-17 to claim their third world title and second in succession.

“This success is not down to any one person‚” Hansen said.

“There was a whole group of us who contributed and we are well supported by our rugby union back home.

“Our franchises helped us get here and do what we do. It’s massively satisfying to see it all coming to fruition.

“In 2012‚ we looked to rebuild the team. We wanted to come to the 2015 World Cup with the right amount of experienced players‚ as well as some younger players with experience.

“It’s great to see that we’ve developed a big group of youngsters with between 20 and 40 caps. They can now take us forward after a few of the older guys retire.”

The South African Rugby Union has come up with a partially central contracting model‚ but there have been delays on its formal unveiling because there is still haggling with the provinces about player control.

And even so‚ at most 30 players will be contracted‚ which is far fewer than New Zealand’s 120.

It’s just a small glimpse of the challenges Meyer‚ or the next coach faces.