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Cape Town - Handre Pollard could be ready to take back the Springbok No 10 jersey for their northern hemisphere tour.
The Boks play four Tests on their tour against Ireland (November 11), France (November 18), Italy (November 25) and Wales (December 2) and Pollard could very well be back as the starting flyhalf for the first time since the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Now fully fit, Pollard has been on the bench for the Boks since the beginning of this year's Rugby Championship with Elton Jantjies having started every Test in 2017.
Jantjies has been impressive for large parts of the international season, but he has not quite made the position his own and there is a possibility that, in Europe, Pollard will be favoured.
Coetzee, speaking to media this week, was probed on Pollard's role in the side and listening to him speak, it seemed like the 23-year-old Bulls pivot was nearing a return to first team action.
One way of including both Jantjies and Pollard would be to play Pollard at No 12 in the absence of Jan Serfontein, but Coetzee said that was not an option.
"You can see how he has grown in terms of calling the shots and managing the team," Coetzee said of Pollard's development at training this year.
"You don't want to give him the added responsibility ... he's got goal kicking to contend with as well and dominating the space at 10 and taking charge.
"That is what I'm looking forward to see Handre doing during this outgoing tour and then obviously his leadership ability is crucial for us ... both him and Elton.
"I'll definitely not look at Handre as a No 12 just yet."
At the very least, Pollard will be expected to start the December Test against Wales given that Jantjies will be unavailable due to the fact that it falls outside of the international window and he will be off to Japan.
