Queue for Bok job

Now that Peter de Villiers has announced that he will step down as Springbok coach, several candidates are being lined up to succeed him.

Mostly it is still speculation, with the only candidate throwing his hat into the ring being former coach Jake White.

After the Springboks' elimination on Sunday in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal the chances of De Villiers being given a second term as coach disappeared.

So who are the likely candidates to replace him?

White has made it clear he would like the job but he knows that the South African Rugby Union is unlikely to even consider him.

And internationally it's hard to guess who would apply until the post is advertised, while locally no coaches have put their head above the parapet to declare their interest.

But when the dust settles and the search begins, there are realistically only a handful of men capable of doing the job, starting with current technical adviser Rassie Erasmus.

The former Currie Cup-winning coach with Free State is an astute operator and clever tactician and would certainly bring innovation and a workaholic nature to the position.

But his wariness of the media and refusal to be in the public spotlight is a major shortcoming for anyone with designs on the most high-profile job in South African sport.

It's unclear why Erasmus appears so afraid of the media, especially as he's always had a fairly easy ride. He would love the top job but would probably make too many restrictions on the public side of the role to be a feasible candidate.

Allister Coetzee, his colleague at Western Province and the Stormers, is a man many would like to see entrusted with the Bok coaching job. He and Erasmus work in tandem at Super rugby and Currie Cup level, with Coetzee taking on the public role and Erasmus in the background.

They might try and sell themselves as a combination at test level but Coetzee would be better off applying himself and parting ways with Erasmus if he wants to be seen as a successful coach with his own voice.

For four years Coetzee worked under White and since then his coaching success has always been linked to Erasmus's input, real or imagined. If he applied he needs to step out of the shadows and be his own man.

Another name in the mix could be former Saracens coach Brendan Venter. The former Bok centre is a great student of the game and an intelligent observer. But his short fuse and dislike of authority would make him a maverick candidate that the union might shy away from at this stage.

He does have the political backing of Saracens shareholder Johann Rupert, which does carry some weight.

Golden Lions coach John Mitchell might be the best bet in the short to medium term. He comes with little baggage and credentials as a former All Black and Western Force coach.

His success in turning the ailing Lions into potential Currie Cup champions speaks volumes about his ability to bring out the best in unfashionable players. Imagine what he could do with the best players this country has at his disposal?