AP
Gert Smal
Despite reports from Ireland suggesting that Gert Smal will see out his contract with that country’s national team – until 2013 – the former Western Province boss and 2007 World Cup winner remains the hot favourite to be the Springboks’ new head coach.
The current Ireland forwards coach is believed to be the SA Rugby Union’s first-choice candidate to take over from Peter de Villiers. And so keen are they to bag Smal’s services that they are willing to allow him to start his new job in April.
This would allow Smal to fulfil his role with the Ireland team in this year’s Six Nations competition, which kicks off early next month.
The competition will run until March 17, meaning Smal will still be in a position to see SA’s best players in action during the Super Rugby tournament.
The Springboks’ first Test of the year is on June 9 against England in a three-match series.
Smal’s involvement with Ireland in the Six Nations may, however, force Saru to delay the announcement of the next Bok boss.
Saru are, at this stage, still confident of naming De Villiers’s successor next Friday after a special general council meeting in Cape Town.
The only matter, it would seem, that could stand in the way of Smal accepting the Bok job is that his children are in school in Ireland, and are believed to be very happy.
There also appears to be little truth in the rumour that De Villiers will be installed as a caretaker coach for the England series – as was suggested yesterday – before Smal takes over for the new-look Rugby Championship, now also including Argentina.
It would also seem that Allister Coetzee’s name is no longer in the hat for the Bok job, with his inability to win any trophies with Western Province and the Stormers counting against him.
However, Rassie Erasmus, who recently resigned as director of rugby at Western Province, is still favoured to be the Boks’ next full-time technical adviser – a role he filled in last year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
And the Bulls’ director of rugby, Heyneke Meyer, is also a candidate, but it would seem he is behind Smal on the preferred choice list.
