The Money Man says the Springboks are set to continue their ineptitude under coach Allister Coetzee against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.
Apologies in advance if this comes across as a rant. But I'm not politically correct, and never will be.
I should be giving you advice on how many points the Boks will win by, not whether they will win this game. But I am.
Coetzee should not be the Springbok coach and is there solely on the colour of his skin. He has no successful pedigree of his own and accomplished nothing with the Stormers. The players at his disposal during his time at the Cape franchise, read like a who's who of superstar rugby: Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Gio Aplon, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw and Eben Etzebeth, all in their prime.
I can only imagine his appointment was to appease sports minister Fikile Mbalula in the hope of getting the government's backing in their quest to bid for the 2023 World Cup.
He has the arrogance of a man who has accomplished much, but his 3/2 record against Ireland and Argentina doesn't tell the full story of his incompetence. It if weren't for the rugby gods, the Boks should have been 1/4 so far this year.
Coetzee's support structure defies logic. He has a gentleman named Mzwandile Stick, who is coaching the backline, when he should be seeking an autograph from the likes of Habana. Coetzee also appointed Matt Proudfoot, who's lack of accomplishment is on a par with that of the head coach. If Jurie Roux had any integrity left, he would resign from his position and leave rugby altogether.
They say misery attracts company, well, this is a miserable bunch we have running the Boks.
That said, who is going to win in Brisbane on Saturday?
Australia will and here are five reasons why:
– Michael Cheika is by far a better coach than Coetzee and will have a much better game plan than his counterpart, who doesn't seem to have one.
– To every Bok supporter, there are glaring omissions from the starting XV and even the squad. I won't get into who they are, but I think it's obvious, even for the ones in the Bok team. And when you have a team questioning the coach's inability to see the obvious, it's hard to respect and play for said coach.
– Elton Jantjies shone during Super Rugby, but is floundering under Coetzee. It should be of no surprise as this coach has never rated him, which is why Jantjies left the Stormers.
– Australia at home are a formidable team, despite losing their last six Tests. Those defeats came against the All Blacks and England, who happen to be the two best teams in the world. The Wallabies will see this as an opportunity to snap that losing streak and return to winning ways.
–Despite's Cheika's recent record, he is the current World Rugby Coach of the Year and will have answers to everything Coetzee's Boks throw at his side at the Suncorp Stadium.
In closing, I will not bet on this Test, as there is no joy in winning money on a Bok loss. Australia will win what I predict will be an ugly contest. If you are looking for a fun bet, check with your bookies on the odds for no tries to be scored in this game between two desperate teams that will be taking every available shot at goal. Heavy rain in Brisbane should make handling and scoring difficult.
I think the Wallabies will win 21-15.
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
