Springboks coach reveals post World Cup exit plan

It's on Leinster's website. Easy to check.

Thank you ..The reporting here very vague as to Nienabers status . Closest I could get from local analysts and various podcasts is as senior coach . With Cullen as Director of Rugby ..That was still unclear to me .

Nienaber is moving to Leinster as Senior Coach with specific responsibility for defence. Leo Cullen has recently re-signed for a further 2 years as Head Coach (normally only does 1 year), and could possibly take over from David Nucifora as IRFU Performance Director after that. Leinster coaching group is very egalitarian and looks to have a cross-skills, blended thinking approach to its overall coaching strategy. Leo is the boss and makes the calls for game days in making squad selections, promotion of players, dealing with management side of things that CEO doesn't cover, or the team manager, Guy Easterby who manages the finances/contracts. But he's also a good delegator and wants to see his coaching group grow and develop. he headed home after Lions game in SA and appointed Sean O'Brien to lead the coaching duties for the Bulls match next weekend. It'll be a different experience for Nienaber who no doubt was persuaded in part that Cullen ignored all the CVs that dropped in his door after Stuart said he was moving to Racing 92, and contacted Nienaber proactively.

So besides Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids, some other options: Johan van Graan - Not a personal favourite, but I understand he got the Munster gig back then thanks to Rassie. Gary Gold - Very unlikely but he has been assistant under PDV and was recent with USA (still is?) Johan Ackerman - No idea how he is going in Japan Franco Smith - Doing good things with Glasgow Jake White - Unlikely and also not likely to be a fan favourite but he has the experience John Dobson - Good coach but he bleeds WP and would be on a hiding to nothing with the rest of the country if he got the job. Think he may be "too WP". Also not sure if his methods would translate to Bok rugby. Foreign coach - Won't happen. As for defense coach, there really are only two local options in Norman Laker (WP) and Joey Mongalo (Sharks CC coach). Ferreira joined van Graan from the Lions as defense coach after success with the Lions under Ackerman. Not sure where he's at currently.

Fired ?...some would call it scapegoated in the interests of buying Foster more time ....He was a very serious candidate for the Bok job at the time . Has a great track record coaching in The Republic ...Actually flew out for the interview. Think he made it down to about the last 3 or so ...before Rassie dropped a bombshell and appointed his mate .

and fired by NZR - he was only ever a SR coac h

Why am I not surprised. Good luck with that one :thumbup:

:laughing: :laughing: Actually John Plumtree came very close to the job . Was on the final interview list when Nienaber got the nod ..But he is an exception . Many here see him as a Saffer having lived , played and coached The Sharks for so long .. And married to a South African too.

thanks JN - thanks for sharing some of your insight - how could we forget Alistair Coetzee - on your last point - yeh somehow i couldn't see a Kiwi in charge of the Boks

Had a ‘philosophical’ fall out with the Roar editorial staff apparently . I’m hopefully gonna hook up with Harry Jones at Loftus after the Wallaby /Bok game .. I’ll ply him with beer and dig for more info :stoked:

For certain either Mzwandile Stick or Deon Davids. I’d love it to be John Dobson from the Stormers but there is always that colour issue ( hint.. its neither red nor yellow) .. Last coach of ‘colour’ was Alistair Coetzee which went pear shaped for SA Rugby but it’s probably time to go down that road again ….Give it another go . Davids has a stronger pedigree but its anyone’s guess from here . The game is spreading like wildfire amongst black South Africans so my guess is Stick ..Together with Kolisi that makes a big statement ..But to sustain that growth Boks must keep winning . That’s also important . Definitely won’t be a foreign coach . SA Rugby don’t do that .

yep fair enough - he was the defence coach wasn't he - not sure if he was the D coach during the 2019 RWC - any idea who's next in line for the Boks coach.

Indeed. It’s unfortunate how far SR has fallen since the 90s. I’m struggling to see it ever being like it was.. Test Rugby is all a lot of us have.. Even that has lost its shine, as far as being an AB supporter. But the complete opposite for the Irish or the French, it’s never been so good! We’ll see if the tables can turn over the next few years. As far as SRP goes, it’s way off the mark. Most of the NH competitions are full of test quality players from all over.. down here majority is made up of guys lucky to being playing at SR level. Where is NB? Grown weary of SH rugby also?

Ha ha , no I have little , no make that zero interest in SR anymore ..I never read nor comment either on any related articles ..Unlike say Premier League in England where so many of my countrymen campaign and there is still some skin in the game for me . Superugby is just an old lady with new earings waiting to pass on . It has no future not even a present ..easily the most boring , irrelevant regional comp in the world . I would rather watch NZ High School rugby . I'm hanging around because despite my sentiments on SR , The Roar is still the best rugby chat forum on the planet ..Anyway not too long to the RC and then WC ..We can all lock horns again ...After I think about 7 years if not more participating here , the past 3 months easily the most uninspiring I've ever experienced and were it not for upcoming clashes would not bother any further . I also miss Nick Bishops weekly articles .His observations were universally appealing no matter who he chose to analyse ....Hey you did ask ! :laughing:

The toughest pools tend to produce the champions….so although Australia and England have an easier path to get to the finals they may find it far more challenging to win against teams that are used to tougher opponents. It is the knockout stage and I agree that luck (that includes refereeing decisions) will be critical to decide the 2023 RWC.

Surprised you’re still hanging around a SH rugby site. With all the SA teams in the URC.. Such a more dynamic competition.. Be it a forward orientated style of game. But as far as entertainment goes, it’s pleasing to the NH fans.. Compared to that competition.. SRP is like an old secondhand store, ya know you walk in. Look around at all the old crap and immediately want to leave, but the store clerk is eye balling you.. so you pretend to be interested in some of the old worn out junk, while making your exit strategy.

Its wide open Bliksem ..No team can be confident ...2023 , luck , then more luck plus cards then more cards are going to play a huge role . Australia and England already dealt a great hand before its even started .So luck is already a factor and it hasn't even begun yet .

He should have had this job before he was selected as Bok head coach. Hopefully his time they will look for the best coach they can find and not Rassie’s mate. I am not that confident that the Boks will defend their title, they have the players but are not setting the pace. A lot of this is due to coaching that have not developed players to build on the 2019 foundation. There is only a handful of players that are better players today than what they have been in 2019 with more like Pollard that lost their best form.

One other coach that the QRU have obviously just missed out on! ;-) It shows how far Leinster (and Ireland generally) have progressed in the last 25 years that this is now one of the top jobs and cultures to be around

No JD I wouldn’t even begin to speculate on the personal reasons thingy .. Could be anything really …. Nienaber is superb in his role as an analyst , especially defence ..A details guy to his very core .He will and does add immense value and experience in this field. Boks have a fairly average track record with him tho as head coach . Losses to France , Ireland , Wales ( historic home loss) , an uncharacteristically poor NZ on the ropes really ( home loss) , Australia.. all on record .. He has however escaped public criticism and pressure because nobody is too sure just how much he should be held to account . would we just be shooting the messenger ? .. How much is he responsible for team tactics , strategies , selections etc ? Just who is making the final calls ? Rassie himself admits these are coaching staff decisions , meetings he himself sits in on . ” We are in each others minds ” , always in agreement …Rassies own words . That decision to change the entire team midway Welsh series reeks of Erasmus ..Nienaber too conservative methinks . Reports here tho is that he is appointed at Leinster as head coach . I find it strange that a Bok head coach shifts to defence coach of a Club team . Not impossible either that its as World Cup winning head coach ..That doesnt sound right . I need to try look into that a bit more .