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Pretoria – Despite a Bok victory on Saturday against England atTwickenham, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers will probably see a considerably clipping of his wings in the coming week.
This despite the Springboks playing the so-called English "rugby fort" of Twickenham into submissive silence with a convincing 21-11 victory.
"Super-sub" loose forward Willem Alberts's third try in three consecutive Tests capped a strong performance and a desperately needed win for the under-fire Springbok coach in a tough and physical match (full report at Sport24).
Informed sources told Rapport that - regarding De Villiers' position - it seems unlikely he will be axed due to the political storm this will create.
But Rapport can reveal that, due to these fears, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) is planning rather to put together a technical rugby committee to lead De Villiers and co.
They will effectively be De Villiers's bosses.
The current coaching team apparently has no choice but to accept the decision.
A group of rugby experts, who will include former Springbok coaches, will on Thursday be asked by Saru's executive committee to evaluate De Villiers' performance as national coach.
They will have to decide as quickly as possible if he and his two current assistant coaches, Gary Gold and Dick Muir, are the right management team to take South Africa to next year's World Cup championship in New Zealand.
The group of experts who will do the evaluation are also the favourites to make up the new technical committee.
After Rudolph Straeuli was replaced in 2004 by Jake White as Springbok coach, White was successfully supported by a technical committee led by André Markgraaff.
De Villiers, who has only been able to win nine of his last 19 matches as Bok coach, has faced calls to step down from the rugby world over the past few months.
Several former coaches and other rugby experts have, during this period, expressed their deep concern over the Springboks' playing style and poor results.
In the disastrous Tri-Nations series a few months ago, they could only win one out of six matches. Saru then approached some of the country's premier coaches, among them Rassie Erasmus and Heyneke Meyer, to assist De Villiers as assistant coaches and technical advisors.
But none of them were apparently willing to help Saru and De Villiers. The governing body then had to continue with the existing trio as management and coaching squad for South Africa's current Grand Slam tour.
During Saru's search for a possible new management team, former coach Jake White indicated that he would be willing to take up the position as Bok coach again.
But it is widely known in rugby circles that as long as Oregan Hoskins is the Saru president, White is not likely to be involved again at the highest level in South African rugby.
According to Rapport's reliable sources, White is not one of the experts who in the coming week will be evaluating De Villiers and his team.
Meyer, Erasmus and other former coaches Harry Viljoen, Carel du Plessis and Straeuli are, according to information, just some of the "wise men" who will be called upon to help solve the Boks' problems.
Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones, who in 2007 was successfully incorporated by Saru and White as technical advisor into the Bok team, told Rapport on Sunday he was not prepared to help again.
"I have no relationship with the current coaching team, so it won't work," he said.
Pretoria – Despite a Bok victory on Saturday against England atTwickenham, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers will probably see a considerably clipping of his wings in the coming week.
This despite the Springboks playing the so-called English "rugby fort" of Twickenham into submissive silence with a convincing 21-11 victory.
"Super-sub" loose forward Willem Alberts's third try in three consecutive Tests capped a strong performance and a desperately needed win for the under-fire Springbok coach in a tough and physical match (full report at Sport24).
Informed sources told Rapport that - regarding De Villiers' position - it seems unlikely he will be axed due to the political storm this will create.
But Rapport can reveal that, due to these fears, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) is planning rather to put together a technical rugby committee to lead De Villiers and co.
They will effectively be De Villiers's bosses.
The current coaching team apparently has no choice but to accept the decision.
A group of rugby experts, who will include former Springbok coaches, will on Thursday be asked by Saru's executive committee to evaluate De Villiers' performance as national coach.
They will have to decide as quickly as possible if he and his two current assistant coaches, Gary Gold and Dick Muir, are the right management team to take South Africa to next year's World Cup championship in New Zealand.
The group of experts who will do the evaluation are also the favourites to make up the new technical committee.
After Rudolph Straeuli was replaced in 2004 by Jake White as Springbok coach, White was successfully supported by a technical committee led by André Markgraaff.
De Villiers, who has only been able to win nine of his last 19 matches as Bok coach, has faced calls to step down from the rugby world over the past few months.
Several former coaches and other rugby experts have, during this period, expressed their deep concern over the Springboks' playing style and poor results.
In the disastrous Tri-Nations series a few months ago, they could only win one out of six matches. Saru then approached some of the country's premier coaches, among them Rassie Erasmus and Heyneke Meyer, to assist De Villiers as assistant coaches and technical advisors.
But none of them were apparently willing to help Saru and De Villiers. The governing body then had to continue with the existing trio as management and coaching squad for South Africa's current Grand Slam tour.
During Saru's search for a possible new management team, former coach Jake White indicated that he would be willing to take up the position as Bok coach again.
But it is widely known in rugby circles that as long as Oregan Hoskins is the Saru president, White is not likely to be involved again at the highest level in South African rugby.
According to Rapport's reliable sources, White is not one of the experts who in the coming week will be evaluating De Villiers and his team.
Meyer, Erasmus and other former coaches Harry Viljoen, Carel du Plessis and Straeuli are, according to information, just some of the "wise men" who will be called upon to help solve the Boks' problems.
Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones, who in 2007 was successfully incorporated by Saru and White as technical advisor into the Bok team, told Rapport on Sunday he was not prepared to help again.
"I have no relationship with the current coaching team, so it won't work," he said.
