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Stats show Coetzee is NOT the worst

Cape Town - To many it may not seem the case right now, but stats show current Springbok coach Allister Coetzee in fact doesn't "boast" the worst win-loss record.

Coetzee has been at the helm for nine Tests to date, having been appointed in April this year.

In his short tenure in charge, Coetzee has the unenviable "record" of overseeing South Africa's first ever home defeat to Ireland, the Springboks' first defeat to Argentina in Argentina and the worst-ever defeat to New Zealand - in 95 years!

Coetzee's first match against the visiting Irish at Newlands saw the Boks go down 26-20 against a side reduced to 14 men for the majority of the match.

The Boks then rebounded in Johannesburg (32-26) and Port Elizabeth (19-13) to eke out a narrow series victory.

The Rugby Championship started with a tight 30-23 win in Nelspruit against Argentina before the Boks lost for the first time ever in Argentina seven days later (26-24).

The trip to Australasia proved a disaster, with the Boks going down 23-17 to the Wallabies in Brisbane and were thrashed by the All Blacks in Christchurch (41-13).

Back in South Africa, the Boks put an end to their three-Test loss streak with a tryless victory over Australia in Pretoria (18-10), before Saturday's record-breaking horror-show in Durban where they were humiliated 57-15 by the All Blacks.

Coetzee's record at the helm of the national side reads: Played 9, won 4, lost 5 for a 44.44% win ratio.

That places him NINTH out of the 12 coaches who have taken up the position as coach since isolation ended in 1992.

John Williams, who was South Africa's first coach post-isolation only won one match in his five in charge for a 20% win ratio.

Ian McIntosh was next worst, with 4 wins in 12 matches in charge for a 33.33% success rate, while Carel du Plessis won 3 from 8 for 37.5%.

Kitch Christie remains South Africa's most successful coach with a perfect 14-from-14 record, which of course included winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

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