Beating the Wallabies is always cause for celebration. But it was an ugly win, and it highlights the urgent need for long-term planning in the Bok camp, with new coach Allister Coetzee at the helm.
Important win for us, says Springbok coach Allister Coetzee https://t.co/IyqFM6md5f #LoveRugby pic.twitter.com/u57ecBHFoP
— South African Rugby (@Springboks) October 1, 2016
Whether it is making the top team in your sport or landing that dream job, we all know the hard part is staying in the role and succeeding.
Nowhere does this apply more than with the Springbok coaching job, where Allister Coetzee is currently sitting uncomfortably. After a less than inspiring start to his Bok head coach career, he has had to resort to win-at-all-costs rugby to stop the bleeding, and this is a worry.
Though a Test match win is always a wonderful thing, especially against traditional rivals, the nature of the Springbok win against the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld confirmed the lack of long-term planning within the Springbok team over the years.
Coetzee had no choice but to revert to a back-to-basics approach, get his players to grind for their lives and hope Morne Steyn could amass enough points with his boot to manufacture a victory. It’s flat out survival mode, and this is unfortunately the only option right now.
Such an approach can beat a beleaguered Australian team at altitude, but it’s not good enough as a long term solution.
Let’s pull back from the current situation though, and look at the bigger picture. Long-term career planning is something we should all do. So how would this apply to Allister Coetzee, who isn’t leaving this job anytime soon?
His support staff seems to be his most obvious weakness right now, but needs to be his biggest resource. Just like the 23 players involved on match day, Coetzee has to have great abilities in his immediate coaching team. If he needs extra help, expertise or additional coaching indabas, he has to motivate this to SARU or find a way to make them happen.
The term ‘succession planning’ has become a bit of a buzz phrase, mostly because there has been very little in Springbok rugby over the years. Coetzee inherited bits and pieces of a setup from Heyneke Meyer, whereas in New Zealand the All Black coaches seem to pass this ever evolving and polished team from generation to generation.
Coetzee has to do his best to get everyone on board towards his plan, and this is where the SuperRugby franchises need to assist him. Bok coaches have failed in the past as they have often been fighting a lone battle, but now more than ever this needs to be fixed. Not addressed, fixed.
With provincial egos historically getting in the way of Springbok progress, Coetzee needs to box smart in getting a functional and sustainable buy-in from the franchises and unions. Easier said than done, but he has to get this right, otherwise Springbok rugby will continue to stand still.
Injuries and dips in player form are realities that all rugby coaches have to deal with. What is important is to make sure his team plans are strong enough and leadership group dynamic enough to carry the team through the setbacks.
This opening season has been a baptism of fire for Coetzee and co, and at times there seemed to be a genuine lack of composure. Things will get a little easier with time, and with leaders to make sure this team is being properly led, learning from the mistakes and using experiences to create opportunities.
It all sounds very simple, but when it comes to long-term planning you have to remember the objectives. Sticking to these objectives means you keep getting better at your job, and from a stronger position you are less likely to get bogged down in the clutter that pressure creates.
Back to the now, Coetzee simply has to get the confidence back in his team and ugly wins are the reality. Let’s not be too critical then as they are the necessary short-term building blocks for future success.
That success has to be planned for though, and that is the change in mindset that we all need to adopt.
- This article first appeared on the Change Exchange, an online platform by BrightRock, provider of the first-ever life insurance that changes as your life changes. The opinions expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BrightRock.
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