Zimpapers Logo

JOHANNESBURG. — In yet another twist in the will he, won’t he go saga around Allister Coetzee, South Africa Rugby president Mark Alexander has revealed that the eagerly-awaited Springbok coach’s performance review that was supposed to take place last week did not happen.

According to media reports, Wednesday had loomed large as Coetzee’s day of reckoning; a day in which his performance for the year would be reviewed by his bosses and a decision made on whether to retain him following two seasons of winning just 44% of his 25 games in charge.

But as SA Rugby sent out a statement on Friday saying that no decision would be made on Coetzee’s future until the new year, Alexander was adamant that the much anticipated review had actually not taken place.

“Who told you there was a review?” was Alexander’s retort when asked what the process going forward would be this week. “We couldn’t have a review because the man’s just come back from the (end-of-year) tour. He still has to do his homework and then make his report.

“There was no review, that’s only at the beginning of next year.”

Alexander said the one meeting that had taken place was that of the steering committee, a group “put in place to support Allister”.

The gathering was made up of SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux, deputy president Francois Davids, vice-president James Stoffberg and recently returned director of rugby Johan “Rassie” Erasmus. — AFP.