The Rugby Championship has a way of shining the harshest light on its subjects. Most impervious to such intrusion has been Steve Hansen's All Blacks, but in this season's competition Springbok coach Allister "Toetie" Coetzee and Wallabies counterpart Michael Cheika will face the toughest challenge of their careers.Coetzee's decisions will come in for the most searching interrogation in the coming weeks.Injuries, megalomaniac club owners in the north, pressure to transform the team and poor form have given the coach food for thought.In his first four tests in charge it was clear that Coetzee has to perform a juggling act to meet all expectations.That will intensify over the coming weeks as his team has to come to grips with a rampant All Blacks, as well as Cheika's out of sorts but now desperate Wallabies.Given the way the Boks performed against Ireland and Argentina, Coetzee faces tough choices, if not now then later.His captain Adriaan Strauss, while honest in his endeavour, hasn't quite made the impact one might have expected.To be fair, the hooker isn't a fist-thumping individual and seems to operate with a quiet diplomacy in his play and leadership. He is, however, unflappable and his lineout throwing is beyond reproach.But there is a bigger picture.Barely in the frame is back-up hooker Bongi Mbonambi, who was selected for the bench against Ireland and Argentina. In the first four tests, his active duty has amounted to just one minute.He might have had more game time had his teammates been more convincing, which would have allowed Coetzee to withdraw Strauss from the action."If I had a captain that is a calming influence when the test match is in the balance, then I'd have him on the field for as long as possible," opined former Bok hooker and Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske."The reality is the days are gone when teams have a 20- or 30-point buffer going into the last 10 minutes. It will be naïve to think it will be any different in the Rugby Championships," said Drotske.What Coetzee is experiencing is not dissimilar to the balancing act Jake White had to perform when Hanyani Shimange operated as captain John Smit's understudy.He played nine tests between 2004 and 2006, all off the bench. Smit was required on the field but he could shift to tighthead, which allowed Shimange game time.Much more contentiously, Bismarck du Plessis also found himself in Smit's shadow and it is not lost on the game's keen observers that the same situation could unfold once Malcolm Marx is unleashed on the test scene.Marx has been carrying his Bok blazer on his arm (tradition dictates though he's in the squad he is not permitted to wear it until he plays) but his day will come.With so many questions around the hooker berth, the next is surely whether Coetzee has leadership alternatives. By installing Bryan Habana as vice-captain for the rest of the season, he attempted to draw the sting from the at first measured but now increasingly audible debate over captaincy.Warren Whiteley has displayed impeccable leadership skills at the Lions, while his ability to spread himself thin across the field makes him an influential No8.What may be nagging at Coetzee's mind, however, is that the Bok back row can be better balanced. He may yet gravitate to Duane Vermeulen's to-the-ball hustle and bustle, which may be the fillip that flank Francois Louw needs to lift his game.He has played his best rugby in concert with Vermeulen. Jaco Kriel is an all- action marauder at the Lions but test rugby limits his potency in the wider channels."I think individually we have world-class players among our forwards," said Drotske."I think the problem is you have players coming from different Super Rugby franchises and they are used to different playing styles. I think these guys will improve after every test, they just need time."The same might be said of the backs, especially the out-of-sync midfield."Elton [Jantjies] has found it difficult to run a game," said former Springbok centre Gcobani Bobo."He is yet to consistently impose himself at test level. Increasingly, his game management is being tested. I know he works hard with his mental coach."Bobo argued that there may be too much pressure on Jantjies to take matters into his own hands."Who is giving Elton options on the outside? There needs to be clearer communication about what's on and what's not," he said."We haven't seen Lionel [Mapoe] going at full tilt. There seems to be a lot of clutter in the decision-making. They need clarity."What I've liked is the ambition. South Africa's players can take it to the next level if they are given the opportunity to give it a go when it's on. They shouldn't think 'what will happen if this doesn't happen?'"It's about taking courageous decisions. Coaches can't say 'have a go but if it's a cockup, it's on you'.Bobo agrees Coetzee will have to make brave decisions. "He also has to stick to his guns. The players struggling with the transition have 30 caps. The All Blacks' transition has been progression."..