Renowned defence guru Jacques Nienaber has signed a three-year deal with Western Province Rugby, which will keep him in Cape Town until 2016.

Official WP Media Release

Regarded as the best defensive coach in rugby union, with the statistics at Vodacom Super Rugby and Absa Currie Cup level to back those claims up, Nienaber is a key member of the coaching staff in Cape Town.

“I believe in what Allister and the team are trying to achieve here,” said Nienaber. “We’re not the finished product, by any means, but we’re working hard here (to get there). I believe in Allister and the top-notch players we have at our disposal and I have no doubt we will get there.”

Nienaber has been in great demand in rugby circles in recent months, with the Bulls making him an offer to join their set-up in Pretoria, and he admitted: “It’s easy to get stale perhaps and it’s tough to keep the players listening and perfecting themselves at training after so many years in the same job.

“But the great thing for me is that two thirds of the team (from the Vodacom Super Rugby season) is still so young, many of whom are in fact still eligible for the Under-21 team. They can only get better as we work together more.”

DHL Stormers and Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee lauded Nienaber’s impact on his teams.

“Jacques’ results speak for themselves,” said Coetzee, “but his work here goes way beyond what we see out there on the field on game-day.

“He’s a key member of our coaching staff and I’m delighted that he’s pledged his future to WP Rugby.”

Thirty-nine-year-old Nienaber was born in Kimberley. He joined Western Province from the Free State Cheetahs in 2007.

7 Responses to Jacques Nienaber extends his WP stay with 3-year contract

  • 1

    Great news from a Bulls perspective, so we know now WP will still play a predominantly defensive games

  • 2

    Hahaha

    “I believe in what Allister and the team are trying to achieve here,” said Nienaber. “We’re not the finished product, by any means, but we’re working hard here (to get there). I believe in Allister and the top-notch players we have at our disposal and I have no doubt we will get there.”

    I really cant believe this , fark the rest of the countries rugby must IMPLODE to give them any hope.

    Put it this way, how much more can Bekker , Schalk, JdeV, BH, Aplon, JdeJ improve/grow/offer something new???
    Sadly i feel the bus has departed , better defense wont help
    Keeping the scores down did not help, conceding the fewest tries helped them zero.
    What is needed is scoring tries.
    The guys i mentioned above are now pre programmed to defend, they dont know the art of scoring tries anymore.

    Sheeeeez i am relieved, i was really worried he would end up with the stagnant Bulls.Maybe we will go the other way now, HOPE.

  • 3

    I have mixed feelings. JN is a great defensive coach, that anyone would cut their right arms off to secure the Services of. But as we all know, Stormers seem to rely too heavily on their defence, and we have seen this to their detriment. I think he would fit into a system with stronger personnel setup such as the Sharks or Free State. So somehow, I can’t help but feel that perhaps, just perhaps, the Stormers may actually have made a step forward by losing JN as we all thought may happen when the rumours of the Bulls offer surfaced. It may have forced the Stormers to relook at their systems, but alas, you can look forward to another boring, no-try, second half slumber, kicking and bored wings type of rugby next year. Sad but true

  • 4

    @ Just For Kicks:
    I know your feeling about AC, i was one of the most vociferous critics of him when jake the Snake had him as Springbok assistant coach.
    The problem does not really lie with JN unless he is such a strong willed character to force AC into his views. But one thing is true the WP/Stormers back line is totally impotent lately.

  • 5

    Stomers/WP needs a replacement for Robbie Fleck, to start with, and a mindset change from AC.
    That’s it.

  • 6

    ……and…….EXHALE!!!!!!!!!

    Sjoe.

  • 7

    What is Alistair doing there btw? Stormers defended themselves to the top of the log the is all Nieb. Were the creativity left up to Alistair?

Users Online

Total 94 users including 0 member, 94 guests, 0 bot online

Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm