Toetie knows nothing says Ollie
TOULOUSE, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 18: Ollie Le Roux of Leinster during the Heineken Cup Pool 6 match between Toulouse and Leinster at the Stade Ernest Wallon on November 18, 2007 in Toulouse, France. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Le Roux, who played 54 Tests for the Springboks between 1994 and 2002, was speaking to the Irish Independent when he voiced his concerns about the current state of the South African game.
Le Roux is of the opinion that a Springbok coach should have played for the team himself.
“What does Allister Coetzee know about Springboks? Nothing. He’s got no right to even mention the word Springbok, because he’s not a Springbok. He’s got no right to even have an opinion about the Springboks,” Le Roux said in an interview with the newspaper’s Ruaidhri O’Connor in Bloemfontein last week.
“Same with Heyneke Meyer, Jake White. Ja, he won a World Cup by hook or by crook, but Gert Smal played for the Springboks, someone like that comes and says something, he’s been there… for Rassie (Erasmus – SA Rugby’s new director of rugby) to build that culture, he must get those guys working at grassroots level.”
This was not the first time that Le Roux has had a go at Coetzee.
Following South Africa’s 27-13 loss to Wales in Cardiff last year, Le Roux said Coetzee was “just not good enough at the highest level”.
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Springbok coach Alister Coetzee during the Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the South African Springboks at QBE Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
He said South African rugby did not have a talent problem, but “definitely a coaching one”.
Erasmus is on his way back to South Africa but Le Roux feels his job will be “very tough”.
“Our problems need a five-year period to fix and it needs all the right guys,” Le Roux said. “He’s coming into a culture where our forwards are coached by guys who never played for the national team. How is he going to tell the players how to play for the Springboks?
“Rassie can tell you, because he played for the Springboks – he was phenomenal. But these guys can’t tell the Springboks what our ethos is, what our character is. That’s his problem.”
MIDDELBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 15: Rassie Erasmus during day 2 of the Coca-Cola Craven Week U/18 at HTS Middelburg on July 15, 2014 in Middelburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)
In his new job, Erasmus will oversee South African rugby’s eight national teams and the participation and management of 20 competitions, as well as the development of players, coaches and referees.
READ Ollie le Roux’s full interview with the Irish Independent
