Vusi Voetsek: Leinster (and Ireland) hit jackpot with Nienaber appointment

So, Jacques Nienaber will join Leinster after the World Cup. It’s not a surprise really, because coaches come and go and move around. So, well done to him for landing what seems like a very lekker job.

The only issue is that the Springboks will be minus a very good coach. And, more importantly, all the knowledge that Nienaber has gained over the last few years, building a Bok team that won the World Cup and beat the British and Irish Lions, will be taken with him to Dublin.

That is the part that hurts.

Leinster — and by extension Ireland — will be the big winners, while the Boks will seemingly be the losers in this case.

Bok knowledge

But, that is how professional sport works. The good news is Rassie Erasmus, the big boss right at the top and the orchestrator of the Bok turn-around in 2018, will still be in charge at SA Rugby until 2025. Heck, we better all pray that that is the case and he, too, doesn’t decide to move on. Now that would be a blow.

But, it’s going to happen at some stage, so it’s something all rugby fans in this country will have to get used to. We may not all like Rassie and some of the things he gets up to, but no one can say he’s not an excellent rugby coach.

For stability Rassie needs to stay in charge until 2025, when his contract ends. Because if he doesn’t and he also leaves after the World Cup, SA Rugby and the Boks, will just about be back at square one and have to start all over again with the national team, and that won’t be lekker.

Fortunately, the highly-rated Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids will stay … but will they?

No one knows what their plans are and whether they actually have it in them to be the head coach. There is no doubt they are good rugby people and would have learned a lot about the game and the Boks by being part of the current management set-up over the last few years, but the job of Bok head coach is something completely different.

It will be interesting to see what SA Rugby and Rassie, if he’s still director of rugby, decide going forward.
Normally when the head coach goes, his support staff follow. But, it may not be the case this time. Maybe Rassie takes charge again? We’ll have to wait and see, but rugby fans must prepare for what could be a tough 2024.

Lions lose the plot

Finally, I’m not one to get overly worked up about results; sport is about winning and losing and sometimes things go for you on the day, and other times they don’t.

But, I do get a little upset when a team throws away a good lead and loses when they should really have won. And that’s why I was angry after the Lions’ 39-36 loss to Leinster in the URC at Ellis Park last weekend.

Ivan van Rooyen’s team had done all the hard work, scored great tries and got themselves into a 36-21 lead with less than 20 minutes remaining … and then they conceded two tries, and 15 points in total, to lose. At home!

No man! That was a shocker. Come on guys, you’re never going to win over people and convince the doubters the Lions deserve to play in the URC (and higher up) if you can’t close out a game like that one.

Oh well, here’s hoping they all learnt something from the experience.

Anyhow, until next week, enjoy the ruggers — or whatever else you fancy.