South Africa coach Coetzee’s future to be decided in January

By Nick Said CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - The future of beleaguered Springbok coach Allister Coetzee will be revealed in January after he submitted a review of his team’s dismal 2016 season to South Africa Rugby’s Springbok Steering Committee on Tuesday. Coetzee and senior players, outgoing captain Adriaan Strauss, Pat Lambie and Tendai Mtawarira, gave their analysis of the worst year in Bok history in which the twice World Cup winners lost eight of their 12 tests. The panel included SA Rugby’s High Performance Committee, as well as CEO Jurie Roux and president Mark Alexander, and the latter suggested there would be no snap decisions on Coetzee’s future. “We know Springbok supporters and our partners are looking to us for instant answers and many of them may want to see heads roll,” Alexander said in a statement. “But building winning teams is not an exact science and we want to make sure that the changes we make are the right solutions to our current problems. “This was not a witch hunt but a proper process to interrogate where things went wrong with a focus on finding answers and ensuring that it does not happen again." Alexander added that the review will continue in the New Year. "We will act upon whatever interventions are identified as being necessary by all involved," he said. "I would expect that process to be completed before the end of January.” There has been an outcry from fans over South Africa's performances this year, including a first ever loss to Italy, a first home defeat by Ireland, a maiden loss in Argentina and a record 57-15 mauling by arch-rivals New Zealand. The results have sparked a comprehensive review of the way the game is administered in the country, with SA Rugby also announcing last week that squad selection will no longer be made by committee. A single selector will work with the coach. The choice of future Bok coaches will also be made by SA Rugby’s Executive Committee, not the heads of the various unions as happened in the past. South Africa next play in a home three-test series against France in June. (Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)