Jake: Coetzee ticks every Bok box

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Bulls chief Jake White can’t understand why Jacques Nienaber chose not to invite Test veteran Marcell Coetzee to the Springbok alignment camps.

The Boks were in Durban this week for the first of two workshops, which were attended by a selected group of players from around the country, as the world champions prepare for a 2022 international season that begins in July with a three-Test series against visiting Wales.

While 22-year-old Bulls loose forward Elrigh Louw attended the first camp, back-row teammate Coetzee (30) and Stormers tornado Evan Roos (22) were left out.

“We want older, experienced players who are good enough to win the World Cup,” Nienaber said on Sunday in explaining his selections. “And then we want some younger guys to push them but they must also have enough experience.

“Loose forward is getting a lot of discussion because there are so many players in form … Older guys like Duane Vermeulen, Siya Kolisi I believe can still make it to the World Cup – provided they play good rugby every Saturday – and so, too, can the 10 or so guys that we have used at loose forward since we started together in 2018.”

This seems to fly in the face of Nienaber’s comments in February when he said: “From our perspective, it’s a blank canvas – we’re looking for players who are knocking the door down, and the guys who played last year know they have to perform to remain in the squad.”

Coetzee, Louw and Roos number among South Africa’s most statistically impressive forwards in the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship – Coetzee leads the competition for offloads while Roos boasts the most carry metres.

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The Bok coach did receive some support on Thursday from White who, in when speaking to SARugbymag.co.za, validated Nienaber’s reluctance to pick inexperienced players.

“If I was the Bok coach I also wouldn’t want to pick young guns like Evan Roos and Elrigh Louw to replace proven World Cup winners in the Bok squad.

“The Springbok squad is probably one of the biggest talking points around the braai and the reason is everyone has a team they think should be picked. But I’ve told Elrigh, Ruan Nortje and Johan Grobbelaar [both invited to the camps] that their time will come because I understand, having been the Bok coach, the value of experience.

“The fact that there are so many names on a list of options shows how much talent we have in South Africa, but when you were a flyhalf or centre born the same time as Naas Botha or Danie Gerber, you didn’t play, and now if you are a hooker or centre born at the same time as Malcolm Marx or Lukhanyo Am, you won’t play.”

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However, White was less understanding of Coetzee’s omission: “A guy like Marcell is a little bit different – he’s a guy who has played 30 Tests, so if the Boks are placing a premium on experience, like they say, then I can’t see why he hasn’t been selected.

“I can only think he must be very close to being selected and that’s probably why not being invited to the alignment camps is so difficult to explain.

“If you just go on what their criteria is, Marcell played 30 Tests for South Africa, then played at a high level in the northern hemisphere, and has come back and shown he wants to be a Bok. He’s ticked every box.”

The second alignment camp is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from 1-5 May.

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Zelim Nel