Kudos to Coetzee
29 Oct 2012
RYAN VREDE writes that Allister Coetzee hasn’t received the praise he deserves for what he has achieved by winning the Currie Cup.
There are some champion teams that require low levels of coaching input because of their vast experience or exceptional talent, or indeed a combination of the two. The Crusaders teams that won the last three of their seven Super Rugby titles is one such example, the Bulls 2009 and 2010 Super Rugby side and Springboks’ 2009 British and Irish Lions series winners and Tri-Nations champions another. But the Western Province unit that trumped a Springbok-laden Sharks side who were, on paper, better equipped in all areas that matter, is not one.
They were largely a collection of rookies, many in their first season of senior rugby and most of them forwards. They mostly didn’t have the benefit of being installed next to a seasoned campaigner and had no experience to draw from when the pressure was turned up in the league phase, or indeed in two away play-offs. This was a coaching masterclass from Coetzee. One that hasn’t been fully appreciated.
I was critical of Coetzee’s team in failing to advance to the 2011 and 2012 Super Rugby final despite hosting the semi-finals. I wrote that he was ill-equipped in terms of elevating their attacking game in the opposition’s 22m. My view on this issue hasn’t changed. That, however, must not detract from the overall assessment of Coetzee.
As an assistant to Jake White, Coetzee won the Tri-Nations and World Cup with the Springboks. At the helm of the Stormers he has won two conference titles, and made the 2010 final where they were beaten narrowly by the best Bulls side in the history of the franchise. A Currie Cup final defeat in 2010 preceded their victory on Saturday, rounding off a highly impressive CV.
His talent identification and astute use of that talent has been excellent. I’ve enjoyed his composure (publicly at least) in the face of an injury crisis this season. Seldom lamenting the absence of some world-class players and prodigiously gifted bucks, Coetzee has simply moved on, choosing to extol the values of those coming into the side.
Tactically he has stuck to his beliefs on how the game should be played. This in the face of significant media and public pressure. He adapted his team’s style in the Currie Cup in light of less demanding defences and less potent counter-attackers. The Stormers will return to their territory-based approach in 2013, and rightly so.
Coetzee has also consistently selected more black players than his counterparts, launching the careers of Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Scarra Ntubeni and Marcel Brache, while making Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh key members of his sides. He has never lauded his success in this key performance area because I sense he doesn’t view it as a numbers game. He simply picks the best available players, some of whom happen to be black. Coetzee, in this regard, has succeeded where Peter de Villiers, who proclaimed himself the saviour of black players, failed.
In the context of this country’s rugby history it is relevant that he is South Africa’s most successful black coach. What is infinitely more relevant is that he is among the best we’ve ever produced, black or white.
The Super Rugby title still eludes him. He has to succeed there to be considered one of the greats. Provided he can keep a strong squad fit, he can. For now it is important that we give him the praise due for his massive role in breaking an 11-year title drought. He coached WP to Currie Cup glory in the purest sense of the word. Kudos Toetie.
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88 Comments
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29 Oct 2012, 07:50 am
Kudu dragons
29 Oct 2012, 08:03 am
Good morning…….
haven’t been here for ages.
Just wanted to congrats the Capetonians… well done.
Haven’t seen the game but apparently Wp were the best on the field on the given day.
To the Sharkies – us Bulls know that “home-loss” feeling…
i know it is not nice…
but the worst is … it won’t get better… one remembers it for life…
Again – Province well done.
Cheers to everyone.
29 Oct 2012, 08:08 am
@Staal-2:
Dankie, oom Staal.
29 Oct 2012, 08:10 am
“RYAN VREDE writes that Allister Coetzee hasn’t received the praise he deserves for what he has achieved by winning the Currie Cup.”
It is ok Ryan, you have all week to pump out the praises and if you feel like it you can use half of next week as well. I suggest by latest next Wednesday to start talking about the upcoming Springbok test though…
29 Oct 2012, 08:12 am
@Slartibartfast-4:
Allow us our moment in the sun, after eleven long years.
OK?
29 Oct 2012, 08:13 am
This is my first post in a couple of years as well… Just wanted to say that this is a very good article… Well done Ryan! Coetzee is indeed becoming one of the great coaches in South-African rugby and I desperately hope he can add a SuperRugby trophy to his list of achievements. Such a calm, reasonable caoch and a great person. Hats off to the man, and well done to my beloved Province! It’s been a long, hard 11 years… but we are once again where we belong.
29 Oct 2012, 08:21 am
Rather late than never I suppose, AC’s been going good for a while already and you only notice it now.
“Tactically he has stuck to his beliefs on how the game should be played. This is the face of significant media and public pressure. He adapted his team’s style in the Currie Cup in light of less demanding defences and less potent counter-attackers. The Stormers will return to their territory-based approach in 2013, and rightly so.”
No, the Currie Cup was used to develop a more balanced game and the Stormers will take that into 2013 and not the defensive minded territory-based approach that failed in 2012 Super Rugby.
29 Oct 2012, 08:22 am
@WP-Forever-5:
So what you saying is that you need more than a week and a half?
29 Oct 2012, 08:26 am
AC has caught Meyer’s walkietalkie disease
29 Oct 2012, 08:27 am
@Slartibartfast-8:
Not at all…
29 Oct 2012, 08:30 am
Well done to AC
Wonder if you guys caught the backhander there in the article:
“There are some champion teams that require low levels of coaching input because of their vast experience or exceptional talent, or indeed a combination of the two. The Crusaders teams that won the last three of their seven Super Rugby titles is one such example, the Bulls 2009 and 2010 Super Rugby side and Springboks’ 2009 British and Irish Lions series winners and Tri-Nations champions another .
Now that’s harsh. Basically saying that Pieter DeVilliers and Frans Ludeke deserve no real credit for those wins because they were an experienced team and the coached themselves.
Ouch.
29 Oct 2012, 08:36 am
@stormersboy-11:
well, it is true, isn’t it.
29 Oct 2012, 08:37 am
@stormersboy-11:
And Todd Blackadder.
29 Oct 2012, 08:37 am
@stormersboy-11:
So bizarre then that those coaches were blamed for the losses, but not the victories.
29 Oct 2012, 08:43 am
Perhaps this WP side was never inferior to the sharks side on paper after all??
I suspect ppl gauge the quality of team according to the number of its Bok caps… But you see in a rugby achieving country, a bunch of under achievers makes no difference.
29 Oct 2012, 08:44 am
Has Tacitus been around? He was very vocal about the hiding Province would receive…
29 Oct 2012, 08:45 am
Kudo’s to AC and credit should be given where credit is due.
Sure Rassie had a lot to do with the structures but AC deserves the credit for coaching the team into a unit and putting the belief in his teams that they could be Champions!
29 Oct 2012, 08:47 am
Beware
This CC win has woken the sleeping giant…..Fee fi fo fum, total domination here we come?
And some thoughts:
Alistair: Dankie aan al die lojale ondersteuners! Die beker kom huistoe.
Gio Aplon: In my volgende lewe wil ek ‘n WP ondersteuner wees, want hulle gooi nooit tou op nie, hulle is lojaal en staan by hul span.
Duane Vermeulen: Dit is hoe jy ‘n oorwinning vuur WP!
Bryan Habana: Wat ‘n ongelooflike gevoel. Ek is so trots daarop om die blou en wit strepe te dra.
Helen Zille: Ek het belowe om nie te dans nie, toe kyk net wat gebeur Gangnam-styl vir Juan.
Die Burger
29 Oct 2012, 08:47 am
@WP-Forever-13: Yes him too, although i was thinking more of an SA context here. I remember an article back when we won the Tri Nations and Lions series and Pieter was lauded on this very site and all the “he is the coach so he must get the credit” yadda yadda…..
Inconsistent much Ryan?
29 Oct 2012, 08:48 am
“My view on this issue haven’t changed.” – Editors???
Although if said it a Cape Coloured accent it would pass for acceptable in general conversation.
29 Oct 2012, 08:48 am
@Gumboots-16: We’ll all be sure to remind him when he eventually pitches again.
29 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
Congrats to WP and to AC, there is no denying it was a great performance, against the odds, in the oldest competition in the world, HOWEVER…. the keo-ites have spent the better part of the year telling us how meaningless Currie Cup is, what poor standards of rugby are displayed and what a waste of a competition it has become, Vrede chief amongst them! So Ryan, now that WP have finally won it again, what is it to be?
29 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
@stormersboy-19:
One of those “open secrets”, no doubt.
29 Oct 2012, 08:51 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-12: You reckon??
29 Oct 2012, 08:52 am
It has been a great weekend…
The Currie Cup is where it belongs; We have a humble and well-spoken coach – we have never started a facebook page to get rid of him; we have every Tom, **** and Sally wanting to don the Blue and White hoops; and most of the Sharks are still out swimming somewhere…
May the celebrations last forever…
29 Oct 2012, 08:53 am
@Rooibaard2000-22:
Ryan is a Bull, so dont’ ask him…
29 Oct 2012, 08:56 am
@Gumboots-25:
And we will be moving to a brand-new stadium in 2014.
One that we can actually fill (never mind just for finals).
29 Oct 2012, 08:57 am
@Gumboots-26:
Such a bizarre dynamic at Keo HQ.
Ryan and Keo are Bulls fans, JC and Gareth are Province supporters, with Simon Borchardt the sole Shark in sight…
29 Oct 2012, 08:57 am
@Rooibaard2000-22: It’s important because we just won it.
It would be pretty much irrelevant if we had lost
That’s the way it goes
It’s like the Super Rugby Conference Trophy (yes an actual trophy)
None of the other SA Super Rugby teams’ supporters rate it.
But that’s because no one else has ever won it.
Wait until they do
29 Oct 2012, 09:00 am
Just saw Tiaan Liebenberg at the gym here in Durbanville with his father. Isnt he suppose to be injured?
29 Oct 2012, 09:00 am
Celebratory hangover slowly wearing off…..
Heaven help me if we win Super rugby.
29 Oct 2012, 09:01 am
Yes he has proven me wrong as a coach and credit is surely due
Anyone seen HG on the site? Come now HG come and take your humble pie like a man… if you are man enough.. dont be a screaming little biaatch!! You said something to the lines of Sharks by 15 in wet weather and by 30 in dry weather? kant!
As for Ackerman… Lions coach.. so our win over your lions was not christmans afterall.. see how silly sour grapes make you look like? Learn from allister and be gracious in a loss next time.. o wait.. there is no next time… no SR… Loser!
Wp Djou Lekke Deng!!
29 Oct 2012, 09:02 am
@stormersboy-29:
too true about the conference trophy.
29 Oct 2012, 09:02 am
@Provvas-32: He popped in yesterday afternoon. It’s actually worth a read. Well played to him.
29 Oct 2012, 09:03 am
@WP-Forever-27:
The most loyal supporters around for sure… Always full stadiums…
29 Oct 2012, 09:03 am
Cokhane
29 Oct 2012, 09:04 am
@WP-Forever-28:
Fruit salad for sure… It that the right terminology?
29 Oct 2012, 09:04 am
@Rooibaard2000-22: No everyone thaought that the watered down version with players on Bok duty was not worth the money anymore.. .this is due to longer international season etc etc…
every year the boks get to play in only the last round robin game or the Semis… which is sad!!
But when it comes to Finals it is all relevant as the Unions have their boks back and raring to go!!
Wp Djou Lekke Deng!
29 Oct 2012, 09:05 am
@stormersboy-34: where? Mind Posting it here for us all to read?
29 Oct 2012, 09:06 am
HG was here yesterday, bleeding from the eyes
29 Oct 2012, 09:07 am
@grant10-31: Someone will have to donate some kidneys….
29 Oct 2012, 09:10 am
@Provvas-39: It would be on the “Potent Province” board. Knock yourself out.
29 Oct 2012, 09:11 am
@stormersboy-29: I hope to goodness that you did not just compare the 115 year old (apprx) Currie Cup to that abomination of a “trophy” the Conference Cup???!! Good God man, ,come to your senses.
29 Oct 2012, 09:14 am
Heavens Game Says:
October 28th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Fuckitt…
My eyes are bleeding…My head is pounding… and the gall is bitter
therefore I’m not going to hang around…
But I will say this and it pains me to say it…
WP were an immovable object yesterday… Their defence was incredible.
Also not good for Sharks to be overwhelming favourites… The Black and White fireworks fizzled and then went out…
JdJ was magnificent… If he is not No 1. center choice for Boks or Stormers then powers that be got to take a long hard look in the mirror… Also, if Meyer doesn’t do whatever it takes to get Nienaber in the Bok setup then he is a dumbfuck.
Lambie was excellent but he needed a few more team mates to come to the party too…
WP deserved their first Cup in 11 years, after more than a decade of winning nothing…. It is appropriate that they finally did win with a team of unsung heroes and not the often mythological Blue and White striped “legends”
Now I must go and choke, chunder and spew… I feel like a Kiwi now… cough cough cough Choke…
Outtahere.
29 Oct 2012, 09:14 am
Do we get to keep the Plascon Wall and All trophy, now that the competition no longer exists? That too was a Trophy…
29 Oct 2012, 09:14 am
Well done to Toetie.
Kuros.
29 Oct 2012, 09:18 am
Never to be seen again
29 Oct 2012, 09:19 am
Wonder if Heinrich Steyl is in his SR plans though.
29 Oct 2012, 09:21 am
Ja, all you Province mense, help yourselves to a kudo each. Only one though – we haven’t overcatered.
29 Oct 2012, 09:22 am
@stormersboy-24:
ja, gospel.
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