Publications
Partners
Cape Town - There was a familiar face at the Stormers’ High Performance Centre in Bellville on Monday.
Allister Coetzee, celebrating his 53rd birthday on the day, was in Cape Town with members of his Springbok management team to meet with coach Robbie Fleck and his players.
It was the last stop of the new Bok coach’s national ‘roadshow’ that has seen him visit all six of South Africa’s Super Rugby franchises, but the Cape Town visit provided an element of nostalgia given how long Coetzee spent at Western Province and the Stormers.
“Allister has a lot of history here. The boys enjoyed themselves. It was his birthday today and we sang him a song,” Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi told reporters on Monday.
“He told us some good jokes and he was good company. It was really nice to have him here.”
But catch-ups aside, Coetzee’s visit provided the Stormers players with a lot of clarity as to what Coetzee is looking for in his Bok squad.
“Allister made it quite simple today that he is looking to throw the net out wide and obviously he told the players what he’s looking for,” said Mbonambi.
“Personally also, you have to look at yourself and look at what coach Allister is looking for, and maybe tell yourself what you need to work harder on.
“He came in here and actually spoke to us as a team and also as individuals. He put a list down what he was looking for and it’s up to the player.”
Mbonambi has dislodged Scarra Ntubeni as the first-choice hooker at Newlands this season and he will be an outsider to be included in Coetzee’s first training squad ahead of the June Tests against Ireland.
Coetzee will name that squad on Saturday.
