Smal the frontrunner for Bok post
15 Dec 2011
Gert Smal is the favourite for the Springbok coaching position although Allister Coetzee and Heyneke Meyer are also on the shortlist.
The appointment will only be confirmed on 27 January 2012, but according to a reliable source, Smal is expected to pip Coetzee and Meyer for the job.
Smal has enjoyed success as a coach in South Africa, coaching Western Province to the Currie Cup title in 2000 and 2001, and also serving as the forwards coach during Jake White’s World Cup-winning tenure. For the past four years he has coached the Ireland forwards and was integral to the Emerald Greens’ 2009 Six Nations triumph.
While Meyer has also enjoyed great success with the Bulls, firstly as a hands-on coach and then as a director of rugby, it is Smal’s record with transformation that may reportedly secure him the post.
Smal was responsible for nurturing numerous players of colour while he was at WP, and in 2008 he drafted a transformation proposal to Saru detailing the development of black forwards in the Eastern Cape region.
Peter de Villiers, whose term as Bok coach will expire at the end of 2011, struggled to transform the Boks despite his earlier intentions. This is best illustrated by the make-up of White and De Villiers’s respective World Cup teams.
White picked just two players of colour in the match 22 for the 2007 World Cup final in France while De Villiers picked the same two players (Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen) and just two more (Gurthro Steenkamp and Gio Aplon) in the 22 that played Australia in the 2011 quarter-final in New Zealand.
260 Comments
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15 Dec 2011, 09:33 am
Good news…!!!
15 Dec 2011, 09:33 am
G10,
I got it from you first!
15 Dec 2011, 09:35 am
What does transformation has to do with the national coach…..
It is not his responsiblity to transform the team. It must start at school level and more importently U19,U21 and provincial teams. Pick the best team, that is all what we as supporters ask.
Just glad to se Meyer and Smal are on the list. Was scared only P Divvy and AC will be there.
15 Dec 2011, 09:46 am
Gurthro Steenkamp was also in the 2011 QF team. If Peter wanted to spin the facts, he could even say that he doubled the number of players of colour.
15 Dec 2011, 09:46 am
Is this the same source that confirmed that Butch would be the starting 10 at the world cup.
15 Dec 2011, 09:51 am
More importantly, does Gert want the job? He’s got a good deal with Ireland, the players think he’s fantastic, by all accounts his family are happy in Dublin and his son is scheduled to finish school in May 2013.
Why can’t any of the journalists get Gert’s side of the story? I’ve always found him very open and easy to talk to, on the few occasions I’ve met him.
15 Dec 2011, 09:58 am
Gert is ‘preferred’ by some guys within SA Rugby – whether he is interested or they can buy him out of his Ireland contract is quite another story.
Ideally, they want Gert an Allister to work together, but there are some power struggles and ego’s at play so I doubt it.
Heyneke is the ‘dark horse’ here; I have doubts whether they will be able to get Smal.
15 Dec 2011, 10:00 am
@Alicamousa-4: was beast not in the 22?
i cant recall.
15 Dec 2011, 10:01 am
ah, no beast was not there.
15 Dec 2011, 10:03 am
rangerman – no, CJ was on the bench (he can cover loosehead as well as tighthead).
15 Dec 2011, 10:22 am
why bother with gert’s transformation record when this was not a consideration when dawie theron, brendon venter were appointed to coach the junior team?
15 Dec 2011, 10:41 am
Gurthro Steenkamp also a player of colour bud.
Anyway, Gert Smal would be a good appointment. Not only the best man for the job, but Allister Coetzee needs to see through the work they’ve been doing with youth players at Province. Changing now would mean a change of approach, which won’t help Province achieve success in the short or long term.
15 Dec 2011, 10:45 am
gert smal is not the best man for the job.
the only consolation for saru and gert is that his opponent will be hansen (so there’s an opportunity there) and dingo ‘swings and roundabouts’ deans.
15 Dec 2011, 10:46 am
Heyneke Meyer doesnt want to coach the Boks, unless the heavens split open & ****** himself annoints him head coach.The guy has never expressed interest after he was passed up in 2007. In 2004 he was frontrunner ahead of White who got it by default as Meyer passed up on it.
Wouldnt be adverse to Smal being coach,had domestic success with WP,has been involved with sucessful bok setup in a high profile position & did a remarkable job with Irish forwards unearthing likes of O’Brien and co.
Its between Smal & AC.
But whether they can get Smal(even though I hope his forwards better than Jake WHite era at times-CJ at 3 slipping binds etc,non dominant tight 5 etc) is another process altogether.
15 Dec 2011, 10:49 am
Is this a cut and paste from another website or is this a KEO story? If it’s a KEO story then I have to doubt the reliability of the inside man. Deep throat he aint’
15 Dec 2011, 10:53 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-13:
Heyneke would have a preference for players he’s worked with… meaning a Springbok team filled with mostly Bulls players.
Not only that but he’s been a DOR rather then a coach lately anyway. He should rather be competing with Rassie for that job with SARU.
Why any of these guys want to coach the Boks anyway I’ll never know. You’re destined to be sacked sooner or later. At provincial level you can pretty much stay on as long as you want, unless you’re completely hopeless and make enemies.
15 Dec 2011, 11:06 am
PA – Wow Gert and AC together would be a great combination. Why on earth weren’t they selected after Jake White for continuity purposes!! If they get this would mean very good news for SA rugby!!
15 Dec 2011, 11:25 am
@hendrikp-16:
no, the envisioned dor role at saru is going to be completely different from the normally understood role of a dor like at the bulls or wp, and will be more of an administrative one with very little to do with the teams or coaches. this rules both heyneke and rassie out for sure.
i refute your first assertion.
why would that be the case?
heyneke has only ever been a provincial coach so the preference he has had for players he’s worked with is exactly that, certain players in the bulls setup being favoured by a coach… in the bulls setup. what is weird about that?
it does not automatically tranlate into – he will pick all the bulls to be boks.
i think that he will be similar to jw in that he will have preferences for players more because of his likes and wants as a coach and that such players could and would probably come from all or any of the provinces.
were he the coach four years ago there may have been a ‘bit’ of bulls bias but that would only be because the best players in the country for that period were mostly from the bulls… hence their winning three title from five in the last 5 years of super rugby.
no sir, heyneke meyer by rights, should be the coach of the boks.
he will take us to the top again.
@stormersboy-15:
my feelings exactly.
@mshiniwami-14:
i just hope that good people are appealing to heyneke’s sense of patriotic duty for him to take the job.
smal i dont have a problem with, but, he is not the best man out there. its just a fact.
15 Dec 2011, 11:27 am
@mshiniwami-14:
also, regarding gert – as i said earlier the only consolation for saru and gert is that his opponents will be hansen (so there’s a definite opportunity there) and dingo ‘swings and roundabouts’ deans.
15 Dec 2011, 11:32 am
@hendrikp-16:
this from an earlier article on the dor position at saru:
Stormers chief Rassie Erasmus had previously been linked to a possible director of rugby post at Saru, but with the restructuring of the rugby’s governing body, the position has not been created. Instead the new position of high performance manager will be up for grabs, and Roux said this person would be more of an administrative figure. The Bok coach will not report to the high performance manager.
http://www.keo.co.za/2011/12/07/super-rugby-coaches-still-in-bok-contention/
15 Dec 2011, 11:33 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-18: No it is not fact. Meyer has not been tested at international level. Smal has and passed.
15 Dec 2011, 11:39 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-20:
He’s said enough about which players he thinks should be in the Bok squad for me to fear that he would…
Not to mention the preference for Bulls players already. In the Tri Nations we literally sent the worst of what the Bulls had to offer to Australasia… Fact that a player like Werner Kruger is a capped Springbok isn’t the sort of history I think we should be creating.
I could be wrong, but I think Heyneke has too much of a Pretoria mentality. Would like to see a plan from him, but that’s the impression I’ve got.
High Performance Manager… hmm. Sounds like they’re just wasting money if that is the case.
15 Dec 2011, 11:39 am
@Michael-21:
tested as what?
ithe guy has a lame jake white type mediocre record.
and thats as an assistant… not even a head coach…
15 Dec 2011, 11:41 am
it’s a world of laughter, a world or tears
its a world of hopes, its a world of fear
theres so much that we share
that its time we’re aware
its a Smal world after all
its a Smal world after all
its a Gerties job after all
its a Smal world after all…………………………………….
After Crusty………………………………………..you give us Disney.
Poor Okes.
15 Dec 2011, 11:45 am
@Michael-21:
two cc’s and super 14 semi.
a wc against fiji, arg and england (not to mention two squeaky bum performances)
and a single 6 nations title in about 3 or four years.
how is this any better than hm’s lack of international level experience?
15 Dec 2011, 11:47 am
@Michael-21:
and most of this was as an assistant remember.
thats a lot of credit to take away from his bosses who were the head coaches at the time.
15 Dec 2011, 11:48 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-23: WC-winning forwards coach, Bok forwards coach under Carl du Plessis, Ireland forwards coach; he is a thinking, dedicated and proven internationally respected international coach.
Meyer is good but his international record extends to being forwards coach in 1999 under Mallet. Heck, Meyer hasn’t coached in a few years now.
In a straight choice, Smal any day of the week.
15 Dec 2011, 11:50 am
@cane-24:
you’d think we’ve had our fuckking cyprus moment and were now preparing to do the right thing….but noooooo!.. wait for it… wait for it…
15 Dec 2011, 11:51 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-25: WC wins against the teams which knocked out Australia and France (who in turn had knocked out the Kiwis). We played the form teams of the WC and won easily.
Forward coaches operate within the framework provided by the head coach; the input they can be greater or lesser depending on the type of head coach. Smal reportedly has a lot of input in the Ireland setup where he has excelled. The mark of a good forwards coach is how he performs within the constraints and Smal has always delivered.
Smal is up to date on all international trends and is at the coal-face. He is a proven coach.
To state that Meyer is the best as “fact” when it is merely your opinion, as the above is mine, is disingenious.
15 Dec 2011, 11:52 am
@Michael-27:
i guess this is where we agree to disagree.
i really hope its heyneke.
15 Dec 2011, 11:53 am
@cane-24: The right thing is to go with a rpoven international coach who knows the SA mindset. That is Smal.
Let the other coaches remain at provincial and franchise level where they are doing a terrific job of bringing through the next generation of players. Let there be strength at all levels of SA coaching. Ludeke without Meyer would be like a lost puppy.
15 Dec 2011, 11:54 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-30: How nice to have a discussion without anyone swearing
All will be revealed next month. The wait is nerve-racking.
15 Dec 2011, 11:57 am
@Michael-29:
no, you misunderstand me.
the only ‘fact’ i tried to allude to is that gert smal is in no way the best man for job of coaching the springboks.
i think we can both agree on this.
there are better candidates out there.
i do happen to believe that heyneke is better but, as you say, this is just my opinion.
i am not stating that hm is better than gs as a fact.
15 Dec 2011, 12:01 pm
@Michael-32: fuckyou.
Come on. You knew some idiot was gonna do that!
15 Dec 2011, 12:01 pm
@Michael-27:
You appraisal has merit Micky Brass.
But what it says most………………………………………………… is that Gert should definately be Boks Forward Coach.
Under AC as Head Coach.
(Is this version of Smal, pronouced the same as for example, James Small ? )
8)
15 Dec 2011, 12:03 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-33: Thanks for the clarification. Personally, I think the only one better than Smal is Mallet. I think Mitchell is third and Meyer fourth.
Cue Grantie in three, two, one…
15 Dec 2011, 12:03 pm
Another reason I don’t want Heyneke…
He’d probably continue with that Bulls loose-trio.
I don’t think I can handle another 4 years of Pierre Spies, not to mention Stegmann or Potgieter.
I’m sick of disappointing selections every time a Bok squad is chosen. The All Blacks get it right 99% of the time.
15 Dec 2011, 12:03 pm
@Taahirah-34:
LOL.
15 Dec 2011, 12:04 pm
@Taahirah-34: LOL LOL
Fckadilly-shampoo will be along at some point when he gets off his roof 
15 Dec 2011, 12:04 pm
@cane-35:
Nope it’s pronounced ‘smull’
15 Dec 2011, 12:05 pm
@Michael-32:
yes, agreed on both counts, no swearing and racked nerves
it does disturb me that the kiwis have already got their man and will announce it before christmas whereas meanwhile back at the ranch…the ja-broer comedy club is getting ready for holidays… with a ‘plan’ to sort it all out bt the end of january..?..wtf?..
considering the changes to the team (big names, big players plus a new captain) as well injuries and the distraction of the super competition, the new coach has to be ready to roll in… how many months?
15 Dec 2011, 12:05 pm
@cane-35: Close but not quite my dear Kiwi, Mikey
Ja, Small and Smal are pronounced the same.
@hendrikp-37: Grant will be here soon to educate us about Meyer and Spies as Bok captain for the 101 time
15 Dec 2011, 12:05 pm
Al least if this guy gets the job the old “quota coach” excuse can’t be used and now that we have to travel to Argentina the old “travel” excuse can’t be used either, no excuses next year then please.
15 Dec 2011, 12:06 pm
@hendrikp-40: Depends on whether it is pronounced in English or Afrikaans.
15 Dec 2011, 12:06 pm
@Michael-36:
Figured we were only talking about the shortlist. In that case I agree on Mallett.
I would be happy with any of Mallett, Smal or Coetzee… but in that order, which means Smal would be me selection of choice as Mallett isn’t interested, nor would they appoint him.
15 Dec 2011, 12:07 pm
@NZINCHINA-43: We’ll think of something.
Christmas break upon us, plenty of free time.
15 Dec 2011, 12:07 pm
@NZINCHINA-43: Then no whinging from you guys when forced to travel the same amount of time as us. It’s bad enough hearing complaints after just 3 matches in SA when we have to travel longer.
15 Dec 2011, 12:07 pm
Smal will be a good choice with proven track record. AC will also be a good choice but it seems like he has unfinished business with WP. It will also be better if he stayed and WP and developed players.
Smal and AC together?? I dont think that would work….who will be the boss?
15 Dec 2011, 12:08 pm
@hendrikp-45: The thing is we don’t know who is on the shortlist besides PdV, AC, Meyer and Smal. There may or may not be others.
15 Dec 2011, 12:08 pm
@Sasuke-48: Agreed.
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