The SA Rugby Coach of the Year nominees have been named with Jacques Nienaber, John Dobson and Jimmy Stonehouse on the shortlist – who was a cut above the rest?
Jacques Nienaber
Somewhat of a surprise contender among the nominees is Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber. The Boks finished the 2022 season with a win rate of 62%, starting the year with a 2-1 series victory over Wales and finishing with a mixed tour of Europe.
The Springboks narrowly won the series opener in Pretoria, before surrendering a first home loss against Wales in Bloemfontein. Cape Town would settle the series and the Boks saved their best for last, pummelling Wales 30-14.
In the Rugby Championship, the Springboks won one and lost one against each of the All Blacks and Wallabies, before wrapping up their campaign with back-to-back victories over Argentina. Despite finishing well, the Boks’ efforts were in vain as New Zealand clinched yet another title.
The November tour began with a narrow defeat to Ireland followed by nail-biting loss at the hands of France. In similar fashion to their Rugby Championship trajectory, the Boks again ended on a high – thrashing Italy before trumping England at Twickenham to avenge their 2021 season finale.
John Dobson
After leading the Stormers to a victorious 2021-22 Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign, it’s no surprise John Dobson is one of the frontrunners to win this award.
Despite a slow start to the tournament, with only one win in their first five games, the Stormers found their feet a quarter of the way into the URC, winning 11 of their remaining regular season games to win the SA shield en route to the playoffs.
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The Stormers beat Edinburgh in the quarter-finals, Ulster in the semi-finals and the Vodacom Bulls in the final, to clinch their first trans-continental championship.
Jimmy Stonehouse
Coach Jimmy Stonehouse is in the running for Coach of the Year after leading the Pumas to a maiden Currie Cup title in June 2022.
The Pumas did not have the best of times in the regular season, managing only five victories in 14 matches, as they scraped past the Sharks to take fourth place and head into the knockout stages.
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The men from Mbombela were have been hit-and-miss in the round robin stage of the tournament, but they were all business in the playoffs, beating the Cheetahs by the closest of margins in a high-scoring semi-final, before comprehensively defeating Griquas in the final to lift the Currie Cup for the first time.
