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Cape Town - Given the developments of the past week, it didn't make much sense having Gary Gold at the SA Rugby coaching indaba in Cape Town back on October 19 and 20.
Less than a week after that two-day workshop had ended, Gold resigned from his post as Sharks boss.
Robert du Preez is his replacement, and when asked on Tuesday about how he saw the relationship between the Springboks and the Super Rugby franchises developing after the indaba talks, he could be forgiven for sounding a little in the dark.
Du Preez, of course, was not at the indaba.
Bok coach Allister Coetzee says another meeting will take place in December between Bok management and the Super Rugby coaches.
Du Preez says anything discussed at the indaba and any desired South African blueprint can only be achieved with the buy-in of all of the Super Rugby coaches. That, he feels, is the challenging part.
"As far as I know they're trying to have a common way in terms of how we will prepare our guys in terms of strength and conditioning," Du Preez said from Durban.
"Skills was also a big focus. I think from a playing point of view they're trying to move a little closer to the New Zealand model, which is centralised.
"I think that's what they're trying to achieve.
"At the end of the day it's whether the coaches of the different franchises buy into it. It's one thing to have an indaba and talk about it but it's how you're going to implement it that, I think, is going to be the big thing."
The Sharks, meanwhile, are already starting pre-season training and are going ahead with their own conditioning plan.
"We've spent a lot of time focusing on what we want to do in the off-season. We will have seven weeks until December 15 and then we'll have a break and come back in the first week of January," Du Preez said.
"There's going to be a big emphasis on strengthening the guys but also on aerobic fitness because that's one thing that has been lacking, especially with the way we want to play."
