Is SA Rugby's call for coaches indaba step to save Boks or just another public relations exercise?

A possible step to saving the ailing Springboks‚ or just another public relations ploy to be seen to be doing something?

Those are the two thoughts that spring to mind after SA Rugby announced it would hold a ‘coaches’ indaba’ in late October following this year's Rugby Championship.

The gathering will see the six Super Rugby coaches – Nollis Marais (Bulls)‚ Franco Smith (Cheetahs)‚ Deon Davids (Kings)‚ Johan Ackermann (Lions)‚ Gary Gold (Sharks) and Robbie Fleck (Stormers) - meet with Bok coach Allister Coetzee. At this stage though‚ Davids and Fleck have not officially been named as 2017 Super Rugby coaches by their respective boards.

Gold is also director of rugby at the Sharks and is unlikely to be head coach next year‚ although he would be instrumental in formulating the Shark’s direction. Times Media Digital has learnt that Fleck has been offered a three-year deal to stay on as Stormers coach after serving as ‘interim’ coach in 2016.

The Cape franchise has yet to confirm the position though. SA Rugby’s Rugby Department and High Performance Rugby Committee will also attend the gathering‚ which is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from October 19-21.

But since Rassie Erasmus’ departure to become director of rugby at Irish province Munster‚ the Rugby and High Performance department doesn’t have a leader as Erasmus’ position has not been filled.

The Committee consists of aging administrators such as Lions president Kevin de Klerk‚ SA Rugby vice-president James Stofberg and SA Rugby executive council member Francois Davids.

The agenda for the gathering has also not been finalised and at this stage it’s unclear whether the goal is to formulate a national playing style across all six Super Rugby franchises‚ or simply a gathering to highlight weaknesses and strengths. The idea of Super Rugby coaches providing input and feedback to the national coach is not a new one.

Several attempts in the past to find a seamless playing style have never really caught on. But with a new generation of younger Super Rugby coaches‚ who have mostly demonstrated a will to raise the skill and fitness levels of SA players‚ the time might just be right to forge a system that will ultimately benefit the Boks.

- TMG Digital