A shell-shocked Allister Coetzee believes he still has he backing of his players after the Springboks slumped to a 20-18 defeat against Italy on Saturday.
It was the Boks’ seventh loss in 11 Tests in 2016 and also the first time Italy have beaten the Springboks in 13 attempts.
The defeat comes in a season when the Boks lost at home to Ireland for the first time‚ away to Argentina for a first time and endured a record 57-15 home defeat against the All Blacks.
It’s hard to imagine what more Coetzee could do to force SA Rugby to cut their losses‚ but the mother body issued a hasty statement after the match explaining a full review would take place after next week’s Test against Wales.
But that is standard procedure. It’s almost unprecedented for SA Rugby to make such a statement and the fact that it didn’t unequivocally back the coach and his staff‚ was telling.
Coetzee‚ when asked directly if he would resign‚ was evasive.
“My future is out of my hands but this was definitely not Springbok standard‚” Coetzee said.
“This is the darkest and toughest moment of my coaching career. But I don’t want to look at it emotionally now because emotions are high. I’m in a difficult position. It’s not easy.
“I still think I’m the man that can turn it around and I don’t believe I’ve lost the changeroom.
“We have a plan and players bought into it. But somehow when the pressure was on and Italy stayed close and got belief‚ we [the players] went outside the plan again. The plan is always there. There is never a moment when I could say the players put in the work.”
Italy coach Conor O’Shea backed Coetzee to stay in the job.
“I feel massively for Allister tonight because he is an incredible man and coach and I hope people in SA stick by him‚” O’Shea said.
TMG Digital/TMG Sport
'This is the darkest and toughest moment of my coaching career', says shell-shocked Coetzee
A shell-shocked Allister Coetzee believes he still has he backing of his players after the Springboks slumped to a 20-18 defeat against Italy on Saturday.
It was the Boks’ seventh loss in 11 Tests in 2016 and also the first time Italy have beaten the Springboks in 13 attempts.
The defeat comes in a season when the Boks lost at home to Ireland for the first time‚ away to Argentina for a first time and endured a record 57-15 home defeat against the All Blacks.
It’s hard to imagine what more Coetzee could do to force SA Rugby to cut their losses‚ but the mother body issued a hasty statement after the match explaining a full review would take place after next week’s Test against Wales.
But that is standard procedure. It’s almost unprecedented for SA Rugby to make such a statement and the fact that it didn’t unequivocally back the coach and his staff‚ was telling.
Coetzee‚ when asked directly if he would resign‚ was evasive.
“My future is out of my hands but this was definitely not Springbok standard‚” Coetzee said.
“This is the darkest and toughest moment of my coaching career. But I don’t want to look at it emotionally now because emotions are high. I’m in a difficult position. It’s not easy.
“I still think I’m the man that can turn it around and I don’t believe I’ve lost the changeroom.
“We have a plan and players bought into it. But somehow when the pressure was on and Italy stayed close and got belief‚ we [the players] went outside the plan again. The plan is always there. There is never a moment when I could say the players put in the work.”
Italy coach Conor O’Shea backed Coetzee to stay in the job.
“I feel massively for Allister tonight because he is an incredible man and coach and I hope people in SA stick by him‚” O’Shea said.
TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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