Johan Ackermann would bring expertise and gravitas to the Springbok head coach role, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
The next Springbok head coach should be a heavyweight with a proven track record of success.
John Dobson coached the Stormers to a United Rugby Championship title last season, but he is still building a dynasty in the Cape and unlikely to leave before his current contract expires in 2027. Bulls boss Jake White has won several trophies over the years, including a World Cup, but you can’t see him working under anyone, let alone Rassie Erasmus. John Plumtree has been linked to the vacant Sharks head coach position and while he’s got the credentials to coach the Boks, he’d want to get some silverware into the Kings Park cabinet first. Former Cheetahs coach Franco Smith has turned things around at the Glasgow Warriors but still has work to do there.
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The best heavyweight option, right now, is former Lions coach Johan Ackermann. The 52-year-old is currently coaching the Urayasu D-Rocks, who topped the Division 2 log in Japan’s Rugby League One this season after winning all 12 of their matches.
Ackermann recently expressed his desire to return to South Africa, where he took a Lions team that had been relegated from Super Rugby in 2013 to back-to back Super Rugby finals in 2016 and 2017. Only a freak Kwagga Smith red card prevented his team from dethroning the Crusaders in the latter decider and lifting the trophy at Ellis Park.
During that period, the Springboks were plumbing new depths under Allister Coetzee and Ackermann – who coached South Africa A in 2016 – was a serious contender to become the new Bok coach.
But Ackermann left the Lions for English club Gloucester after the 2017 Super Rugby season, Erasmus became Bok head coach in early 2018, and the rest is history, with South Africa going on to win the 2019 World Cup. The future, though, can be just as bright for the Boks if Erasmus and Ackermann join forces in 2024.
When announcing Nienaber’s departure to Irish giants Leinster after the 2023 World Cup, SA Rugby made a point of saying, via CEO Rian Oberholzer, that ‘Erasmus’ services are locked in to the end of 2025 at the very least.’ If Rassie does decide to bid the Boks goodbye then, it will be much easier to bear with a head coach like Ackermann already two years into his tenure.
Continuity could be a deciding factor in the appointment of the new head coach, with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander saying ‘we’ve got succession planning that has been in place for a long time’. That suggests skills coach Mzwandile Stick and forwards coach Deon Davids are in serious contention to replace Nienaber, having been part of the Bok set-up under Erasmus since 2018 and 2020, respectively.
It’s difficult to argue against either of them becoming Bok head coach when Nienaber got the job without having held that position at lower levels. Stick guided Eastern Province to the U19 provincial championship in 2015 at the age of 30, while Davids was head coach of the Southern Kings in Super Rugby and the Pro14 from 2016 to 2019, having previously coached Boland, SWD and the Lions’ Vodacom Cup team.
However, neither of them would bring the gravitas of Ackermann to the Bok job, and shouldn’t get it just because they’re part of the current set-up and ‘next in line’.
Stick’s time will no doubt come, but in 2024, a Rassie-Ackers combo can boost the Boks like no other.
FAN FAVOURITE: In an SARugbymag.com poll in which readers were asked to pick the next Bok head coach, Johan Ackermann won with 29% of the vote, while Mzwandile Stick got 6% and Deon Davids 3%.
LATEST MAG: Ackermann talks to us about the unique challenge of coaching in Japan and his desire to return to South Africa one day. Get the digital edition here.