News

Coetzee relishing season ahead

May 28 2008

Winning is the only thing that interests newly appointed Western Province (WP) coach Allister Coetzee for the upcoming Currie Cup campaign.

Coetzee was last week officially named as the Head Coach of the Cape Town-based team. He was Rassie Erasmus' assistant coach during the relatively successful Super 14 campaign with the Stormers.

Now he's the man tasked with the responsibility of bringing home Western Province's first Currie Cup trophy since 2001. And the former South Africa back-line coach from Port Elizabeth is relishing the prospect of being in charge of a team with such a rich tradition.

"I've been assistant coach at the Springboks and the Stormers the past few seasons and I only had to take care of my division, but now the buck stops with me," said the former Eastern Province scrum-half.

Coetzee hasn't had a chance to breathe since the conclusion of the Super 14. He's been to Port Elizabeth to visit his family from Wednesday until Sunday and since then it's been full steam ahead in planning the Currie Cup campaign.

Coetzee's stint as Mighty Elephants coach ended in 2003 and then followed a period of four years with the World Cup-winning Springboks. At the end of last year he joined forces with Erasmus at the Stormers.

Now he sees the coaching job at Western Province as a massive opportunity to make his mark as Head Coach.

"It is a big honour and privilege to coach a team such as WP, particularly in the Currie Cup," said Coetzee.

"WP traditionally is one of the stronger teams and it is a union with a big reputation and a huge tradition.

"That is why it is an unbelievable privilege for me to be appointed."

He said when Gary Gold - who coached Western Province in the final stages of the Currie Cup last year after he took over from Kobus van der Merwe - was called up to the Bok management team, he knew there was a chance for him to get the Province job.

He said he knows Erasmus, who is Province's senior professional coach, well.

"We worked together at the Springboks and we also worked well together at Super 14 level," said Coetzee.

"Rassie has the idea of establishing continuity in the management team and it makes sense. I also regard it as important because continuity brings calmness.

"I see the Currie Cup as an extension of what happened in the Super 14. After the success of that campaign there is an expectation that things should work at Currie Cup level and that it should be successful too.

"The players are training with so much enthusiasm and it is nice to work with players who are so much forward to the season and are filled with so much energy.

"The buzz and excitement is there after the Stormers and we as a Currie Cup squad feels the momentum should be sustained."

Coetzee is adamant that the winning culture of the last part of the Stormers campaign should be retained.

"We won nine out of our last ten games and we are busy establishing a winning culture. That should be retained."

Asked about goals for his Western Province team, the coach said he was interested in one thing only - winning.

"We are in this race to win it," said Coetzee.

"We have the players here and if we have a lack of depth in a position, we should get players from elsewhere.

"We must make sure that we have a chance of winning the competition. I would not coach a side if I don't feel we have a chance of winning the competition."