Allister Coetzee

Allister Coetzee (born 23 May 1963) is a South African rugby union coach and former player. Quotes Managing expectations of all South Africans is not an easy thing. I am under no illusions, it will be really tough. [But] I feel this is the right time for me. [Being South Africa head coach] has 100% been the dream, but something I never chased. I am now settled, experienced, and have a lot of confidence in myself. I think one should embrace the pressure - it will always come, If the head coach is a bit nervous that will filter through [to the players]. It makes me excited, and I am looking forward to the challenge. I understand it is a unique situation which our country is in, looking at our past. But I wouldn't want to have it any differently. It is another aspect of South African rugby which one should embrace. I was with the Stormers for six years, and transformation was never an issue. We won the Currie Cup with the most transformed team, and we were conference champions as well in Super Rugby with the most transformed team. I don't look at the colour of players. Transformation starts with oneself, and one's mindset. It's about creating opportunities across the colour spectrum for excellence. With the players at my disposal we shouldn't make a big thing of it, because I am fed up with it. It is about making sure that not just the black players and players of colour, but all players in this country, if you are the right person I will have to select you if you perform. And that is all that matters to me. We cannot just chuck away what has been the strength of Springbok rugby, that has to be maintained. We love abrasiveness and the collisions. That will never go away. But one area where we can evolve is the speed at which we do things. That is what we need to get right. The big thing about evolving your game is having the right personnel to do that. It is not something you will see overnight - the game is tough at the top - but if you have the right people and they buy into the plan, then I think we can compete. We have lost three great ambassadors from South African rugby. But there is a great opportunity for young players coming through. The captain must be the guy who will always play, who is mentally ready and match sharp. First and foremost he has to help us win Test matches. Gone are the days when you have a captain who is there for his media skills. I want a captain who the players have respect for and want to follow. Any international job in South Africa is a damned tough job, but I am looking at it as a great opportunity. We have exciting young talent coming through across the colour spectrum - and that excites me more than anything Allister Coetzee: Does new South Africa coach have the hardest job in rugby?, April 21 2016 When the Springboks give up, that’s when they will have lost their aura. When the team doesn’t give up, when they keep fighting, I draw comfort from that. You can work as hard as you want, but you need to believe you need to win. These are things we can fix and things we need to fix quickly. We have to be a bit smarter. We must look at our speed of movement on attack and see how quickly we can get into position and how quickly we can use our hands. Allister Coetzee faces growing to-do list to transform South Africa, November 13 2016 External Links Category:Rugby union coaches Category:1963 births Category:1960s Category:South Africa