Allister Coetzee has no problem with Brendan Venter performing consultancy roles with the Boks and Italy – even though the two teams will meet later this year. JON CARDINELLI in Stellenbosch reports.

Coetzee put on a brave face when he addressed the media in Stellenbosch on Monday. The Bok coach told reporters that the memory of a horrific 2016 season – a season that witnessed eight defeats in 12 Tests – was ‘dead and buried’.

Coetzee praised the attacking intent shown by South Africa’s teams in the first six rounds of the 2017 Super Rugby tournament. He declared the second national training camp in Stellenbosch a resounding success and hailed the players’ improved fitness as a triumph for inter-franchise collaboration.

As far as Coetzee is concerned, things are looking up for the Boks ahead of the three-Test series against France in June.

A look behind the scenes gives one reason to question such optimism, though.

Forgetting last season won’t be easy. Indeed, 2016 will go down in South African rugby history for all the wrong reasons.

The most defeats suffered by a Bok team in a calendar year. Inaugural losses to Ireland at home, and to Argentina away. And then, of course, the nadir of the nightmare: a first-ever defeat to Italy.

Venter, one of the architects of Italy’s unforgettable win over the Boks, has joined the South African coaching staff in the lead-up to the series against France. According to a SA Rugby press release on Sunday, the former Bok centre will provide input as a ‘defence and exits’ coach’.

SA Rugby is yet to specify the duration of Venter’s stint with the Boks. Interestingly, there has been no official word of Venter cutting ties with Italy. Earlier this year, it was reported that Venter would continue as a consultant to Italy through to the 2019 World Cup.

This may present a problem later in the year. The Boks will face Italy in Rome on 25 November.

However, it remains to be seen if Coetzee and Venter will still be with the Boks at that point. If the Boks lose the series against France, Coetzee and his lieutenants may be asked to vacate their positions. Reports from Ireland suggest that Rassie Erasmus could negotiate a release from Munster to take up a director of rugby position at the Boks.

Coetzee delivered a vague response to the question of Venter’s dual role on Monday. The Bok coach could not confirm or deny whether Venter’s appointment was permanent.

What Coetzee was willing to state was that the appointment – in his view – will add value to the Boks ahead of the three Tests against France.

‘Brendan has been at every meeting and every planning session, so his consultancy is not a concern for me,’ the Bok coach said. ‘We have the same philosophy and we can work together.

‘There was a bit of chaos last year because of the number of defensive coaches we had [three over the course of the season]. But now we have the opportunity to put plans into place and by June the players will have heard the message three or four times. Then it comes down confidence and execution.

‘Last year we never had an opportunity to see the players before Ireland. A lot goes into the planning. Defensive strategies and policies must be bought into and put into place.’

Coetzee said that he was pleased with the standard of rugby produced by South Africa’s top teams in the Super Rugby competition. The Bok coach has noted a significant improvement in the players’ fitness levels.

‘Conditioning is also important and we can see the players are well conditioned. The pace with which the Stormers are playing is impressive. I’m really excited how South African teams are trying to use the ball and play with width. But there is also variation because there is not one style of running rugby.

‘These camps also give me a chance to have one-on-ones with the players. There is not much aerial kicking in Super Rugby at the moment but at international level they will face that.’

Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images