Allister Coetzee must not allow the pressure that mounts on the Springbok coach to divert him from his winning recipe.
This was the advice that Coetzee’s predecessor, Heyneke Meyer offered the man appointed to the hot seat last week.
“The other important lesson I have learned in my tenure, was to try to really enjoy it,” Meyer told Netwerk24.
“You enjoy it a lot when you are initially appointed; it feels like you are on your honeymoon. But after the second year, the pressure increases drastically. Then the joy fades and the pressure tempts you to move away from what you’ve been good at, and what has worked for you in the past.
“It’s only when you’re finished that you realize how big a privilege it was to be able to coach the team and how important it was for you to enjoy doing so.”
Meyer, who guided South Africa to third place at last year’s World Cup, pledged his support to Coetzee.
“Allister was my assistant coach at the Emerging Springboks and I’ll help him any time with information on the players, if he asks me for it. But I would definitely not offer my advice unsolicited – I have had my chance, it’s Allister’s turn. It’s a chance he deserves and I believe he will be successful.”
It has been reported that Meyer has been offered a contract by English club sides Bath and Harlequins, as well as a Japanese Top League team.
“The other important lesson I have learned in my tenure, was to try to really enjoy it,” Meyer told Netwerk24.
“You enjoy it a lot when you are initially appointed; it feels like you are on your honeymoon. But after the second year, the pressure increases drastically. Then the joy fades and the pressure tempts you to move away from what you’ve been good at, and what has worked for you in the past.
“It’s only when you’re finished that you realize how big a privilege it was to be able to coach the team and how important it was for you to enjoy doing so.”
Meyer, who guided South Africa to third place at last year’s World Cup, pledged his support to Coetzee.
“Allister was my assistant coach at the Emerging Springboks and I’ll help him any time with information on the players, if he asks me for it. But I would definitely not offer my advice unsolicited – I have had my chance, it’s Allister’s turn. It’s a chance he deserves and I believe he will be successful.”
It has been reported that Meyer has been offered a contract by English club sides Bath and Harlequins, as well as a Japanese Top League team.
By: Farai Diza
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