Coetzee to be sacked by December - report

Cape Town - A newspaper report claims that Allister Coetzee’s days as Springbok coach are numbered.

Coetzee’s Springboks suffered another humiliating defeat this past weekend when they were beaten 38-3 by Ireland in Dublin.

It was Ireland’s biggest ever win over South Africa, comfortably eclipsing the 32-15 win in Dublin in 2006.

According to the Sunday Times, the top brass at SA Rugby are losing patience with Coetzee and his remaining time as head coach “can be counted in weeks‚ not months”.

Sources told the newspaper that SA Rugby president Mark Alexander had a heated exchange with Coetzee after Saturday night’s debacle - a repeat of what happened when the Boks lost to Italy last year.

The report further stated that SA Rugby’s executive committee "will meet in early December where Coetzee’s contract will be terminated".

Coetzee has won just nine of 22 Tests since taking the helm in 2016 and has set several unwanted “records” along the way.

These include:

- First ever defeat to Ireland in South Africa

- First ever away defeat to Argentina

- First ever defeat to Italy

- Worst ever year in Springbok history - 4 wins from 12 Tests

- Most points ever conceded against New Zealand (57) in both 2016 and 2017

- Biggest margin of defeat ever against New Zealand (57-0)

At the weekend Coetzee chalked up another two "records": The most points ever conceded against Ireland - home or away - in 111 years (38), beating the 32 scored by the Irish in Dublin in 2006, and the biggest margin of defeat - 35 - beating the previous mark of 17 in 2006 (32-15).

Coetzee’s overall record as Springbok coach now reads: Played 22, won 9, lost 11, drawn 2 for a win percentage of 41% - comfortably the worst of all the national coaches to have overseen 22 Tests or more.