For six months now the name of Allister Coetzee was kept somewhat quiet around braaivure.
But as South Africa gear up for the start of the Test season at Loftus Versfeld against France this weekend, Toetie will be the name on everyone’s lips again.
Hopefully this time it will be for the right reasons.
After a horrible start to his tenure as Springbok coach last season when they managed to win only four matches of a possible 12, Coetzee was a villain in the eyes of a lot of South African rugby supporters.
Defeat to France in this series will see the knives out again.
And Coetzee knows this.
Even if they do win, the most hardcore fans will still find reasons to crucify him.
So what exactly is it that we want to see from the Bok coach and his team?
A win. There is no way the Boks can lose the first Test this coming weekend.
At home and with all the promise of changes they were going to make ahead of the new season, defeat will crush Coetzee and the confidence within his camp.
To win Test matches, though, you can’t play all-out rugby. The Springboks aren’t there yet.
That’s why they need to combine the old plan with the new one and the players need to buy into this
balancing act.
Blessed with some of the biggest forwards in world rugby, it makes sense for the Springboks to play the
territorial game and soften up their opponents first.
And here the flyhalf will play an important role.
If it is Elton Jantjies, I would like to see Frans Steyn on his outside as inside centre.
Not only will this give you the left/right kicking
combination, but Steyn also has the ability to win you three points with a penalty kick from deep within your own half.
Team selection will go a long way in determining what the Springboks can do on the day and that is the first thing Coetzee will have to get right if they want to impress in this Test.
Only once they have built scoreboard pressure on the French, will the visitors start running at them.
Patience is needed in this regard.
It’s here where the Boks’ work at the breakdown will be tested and if they can force the turnover by isolating a ball carrier, they will have a few chances to take it wide and impress with a counterattack that should be pleasing to the eye.
The warning is clear: if they are going to try and run at France from the first whistle, Toetie’s men will be in danger.
I haven’t even touched on their approach to defence, but if the Boks manage to tick all these boxes on attack, I, for one, will be pleased. Of course they will have to win the game as well.