Gert Smal is set to be installed as the Western Province director of rugby as the union prepares to overhaul the much maligned Stormers management team.
According to reports, it is understood that Smal, who is a big favourite of Wakefield and was first sounded out about the role last August, could be announced in his new position as early as next week, with Wakefield now assured of the ratification of his proposal by the board, who he says support him 100%.
Sport24
Wakefield has long been in favour of the appointment of a director of rugby, but was held back by the reluctance of board members who have now obviously changed their minds.
It isn’t difficult to imagine the reasons for the about turn, for there has been a steady flow of criticism directed at the Stormers throughout a Super Rugby season which has now seen four defeats in five starts.
The negative mood effectively started last October, when Western Province lost a home Currie Cup final to the Sharks.
Brendan Venter, a resident of Somerset West who masterminded the Sharks win that day, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, but it is believed that Smal is the man Wakefield and the WP board is pushing for.
Wakefield first hinted that changes would be made after the tour in the very first week, when I phoned him in Christchurch, where the Stormers played their opening tour match against the Crusaders.
He denied then that there had been any firm offer made to Smal but said that he was on a fact finding mission and “we will wait until the tour has run its course before we decide whether or not we need to make any changes or call for reinforcements.”
Smal mentioned in conversation the week that contact was made with Wakefield that while he hadn’t had any recent contact with Stormers or WP officials, he would jump at the WP directorship job if it was created as he would prefer to be involved with Cape rugby than commit to other options that he was considering.
Like current Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, Smal was a member of Jake White’s victorious Springbok management at the 2007 World Cup.
White has never made any secret of his massive admiration for Small, who he has said would pair up with Eddie Jones as assistants in his dream coaching team.
However, while it was understood that White was interested in employing Small at the Cell C Sharks, it is believed he was prevented from doing so by the fact that the Sharks middle management team was already in place and contracted before he took up his job as director of rugby.
Apart from being forward coach to the Boks under both White and before that Rudolf Straeuli, Smal also spent four years as assistant coach and forward specialist with the Ireland Rugby Union.
So since he last coached the Stormers in 2006 he has built extensively on a broad rugby coaching education that first started off at the highest level when Carel du Plessis appointed him as his assistant coach at the Boks in 1997.
The former Springbok loose-forward returned to Cape Town from Dublin at the start of the year after a new coaching team was employed for the Ireland national side.
Although he was not prepared to say whether any members of the current coaching team would be sacked, Wakefield told the Cape Times on Monday that there would be additions to the management team.
“There will be additions to the management, and we know exactly where we lack expertise.
“I cannot give names at this stage of who it might be,” said Wakefield.
He said he had informed the Stormers management that there would be “a couple of changes, and we are looking at all areas of the management – be it coaching or medical or whatever.
“The players are our most important assets, and at this stage I need to look at the full monty – from a psychological level right down through to medical services.”
The Stormers/WP have not officially had a director of rugby since Nick Mallett vacated that post in 2007, but Rassie Erasmus, when he was WP Senior Professional Coach, effectively filled that role.
There has been an obvious void ever since Erasmus parted ways with the union at the start of 2012 because he felt there was too much interference from administrators and not enough buy-in to what he was doing.
He may not have been appreciated as much as he should have been by the WP bosses, but it was predicted at the time that they would understand his value once he was gone, and it could be argued that recent events are a case of chickens finally coming home to roost for a union that often stands accused of putting personal agendas and politics ahead of the quest for excellence.
a Definite step in the right direction, but will that mean AC and his team stay on?
Then it’s really pointless for Gert to buy players and AC to stuff them up with his pedantic and outdated game plan
IMHO Gert Smal brings nothing new to the table. The game has moved on, and I’m not sure that Smal has moved with it.
If he is appointed as the Stormers / WP D.O.R they can expect more of the same iro trophies.
@ Scrumdown:
I am with you on this, I first want to see if this ever happens, secondly he will have to work under a the dictatorial “rugby” board, he will have to work in tough conditions faced with non-rugby issues, what has really changed since Rassie left?
It is going to be a difficult job, if he takes it I hope WP cough up big bucks for him.
WP Rugby is light years behind the rest of the franchises. They wake up about six seasons after the pack. It is poorly run by people with huge egos…
@ Scrumdown:
You can’t argue with Gert’s rugby credentials, he coached irelands forwards for several years and was involved in international teams, he comes highly recommended.
@ MacroBull:
Absolutely correct. Smal’s credentials look great.
Unfortunately WP / Stormers’ Rugby’s problems go far deeper than the coach.
An Exco’ that is stuck in the 1980’s amateur mindset and way of doing things, coupled with bitter under-the-table power struggles.
The only thing that has kept the Stormers / WP where they are this long, is a fan base that are oblivious to their lack of success over the last 15 years and continue to pack Newlands week in and week out thereby providing a healthy finance situation with which to keep up the facade.
There are deep rooted problems in Cape Town / WP Rugby that are not going to get sorted out by merely appointing a “well qualified” D.O.R.
The DOR position isn’t so much a coaching one as an identifier of talent, general GM and such.
The on field “coaching” will still be done by AC, MP and RP.
Still it’s better than nothing.
Thing is, it won’t change anything in the short to medium term.
@ Stormersboy:
SB we talked about their damage control yesterday, is this any different? Changing something to keep supporters happy without really changing anything at all, it’s just patch job, if they keep the existing coaches. It means nothing.
@ Scrumdown:
Well I will say this, it might not be a step in the right direction, BUT it is a nudge.
I have 2 questions.
1) why was Thelo on tour with the Stormers?
Was he expecting something like this should the performances have been poor?
Usually the CEO will fly over briefly should there be a crisis, but not for the duration of the tour.
2) How did his presence on tour impact with the players?
I’m sure it couldn’t have been positive if he was there to scrutinize the coaches and players.
I’m by no means not endorsing the potential changes, we have been begging for it to happen for many years, it’s just a strange situation having him on tour for the full duration.
@ nortierd:
Doesn’t he go every year?
MacroBull wrote:
I’ve never heard of a CEO who tours with the team.
I doubt he goes every year.
Maybe he wanted to cheer the crusaders live in Christchurch, who knows?
It’s a strange one MB, they must have been expecting and waiting for this.
Had the Stormers won all their games he would probably have ascribed it to his presence.
@ MacroBull:
Sorry I think I was thinking about the times he toured with as the manager.
@ nortierd:
The whole situation really stinks. I want to be positive for you guys, but gosh, its a circus, I would rather have a wait and see approach regarding Gert.
@MB 14
I’m happy for them to involve Gert
He was part of a successfully WP time and maybe that’s what we need, to get the ethos right again.
Also, a Venter or Mallett might be willing to get involved with Gert, where I doubt they will be keen to get involved with the current people.
Gerts previous record with the stormers
2003 9th
2004 3rd
2005 9th
Well I guess thats slightly above average? 😛
A successfully WP time?
What is this?
Good jersey sales?
I’m suprised they found a plane seat big enough for that fat fuck.
How did they describe him?
Three meals ahead and six shits behind?
gunther wrote:
Some of us remember the 80’s fondly Gunther
@ nortierd:
Oh you mean as a player ?
You should call Morne Du Plessis up then.
@ gunther:
As a DOR I think Morne would be as good as it gets.
@ Stormersboy:
Indeed but my point is that can we be appointing DORs on the basis that they were part of a successful team in the 80s?
What about Rob Louw then?
Besides I don’t think Morne would waste his time there.
15 @ nortierd:
Venter might get involved with Smal, but Mallet would probably be too wary of the management.
Opiniated, strong willed coaches don’t fit in at a Union like WP.
The Exco’ there prefers them meek and mild.
@Gunther
I doubt the reason they will get Gert involved is because of his playing credentials 30 years ago.
He was still a current coach up to last year.
The 80’s comment was only to highlight that we did have some success at some stage.
I’m hoping that the younger generation players will respect what came ahead of them and maybe Gert can be the catalyst?
I’m sure more ex players and people with knowledge will far rather deal with him than those currently in power.
As a stormer supporter, I am happy that they have woken up and are at least talking the right language, many of us have been asking for change, and if Gert is the one they decide to go with, he has my full support.
@Scrumdown
I doubt Mallet will give up his SuperSport job as well, but he might assist Gert when asked behind the scenes.
There is a wealth of knowledge to be drawn from down in Cape Town, Carel, Morne, Dawie Snyman, Mallet, Rob, Venter etc etc, but they might get involved with Gert, but I seriously doubt they would have been asked by the current coaches or would have been bothered.
I’m hoping it does bring a positive change to the union, not expecting instant success or trophies, just a steady improvement
nortierd wrote:
That’s all we as “paying customers” can really expect.
I draw many parallels betweent the WPRU and the GLRU in terms of the way they are run at the top level.
I would have thought that a sport psychologist would be involved from the beginning of the seaso?
Cape Town – Henning Gericke, a psychologist who worked with the Springboks when they won the 2007 Rugby World Cup, is set to help at the Stormers.
The Stormers have only won only one game out of five in this year’s Super Rugby competition and are languishing in 14th spot on the overall log.
According to Die Burger’s website, Gericke will be asked to help a team struggling to close out tight games.
Gericke is well renowned in his field and also worked with South Africa’s swimming team ahead of the 2012 Olympics, while also working with the Proteas cricket team in the past.
Gericke has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pretoria.
His addition could be one of a few changes made in personnel at the union, with former coach Gert Smal expected to be appointed as director of rugby.
WP Rugby President Thelo Wakefield indicated there will be changes in personnel but did not state if any of the current coaching staff would be axed.
The Stormers face the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday (10:40 kick-off) in the last game of their Australasian tour.
@ nortierd:
Patch jobs all over the place.
I must say though with EVERYTHING against them, a win against the Reds would be phenomenal, and why can’t they? Going to be an awesome game.
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