If Sundowns can protect their lead, they will advance

Proudfoot joins Springbok coaching staff

ALLISTER Coetzee has finally got his man. More than anyone else, new Springbok coach Coetzee wanted Matt Proudfoot in his management team and yesterday it was confirmed by SA Rugby that the former Scotland international would join the Boks on a four-year deal.

Proudfoot, 44, assisted Coetzee at the Stormers, Western Province and the Kobe Steelers in Japan, from whom he joins the Boks. The rest of the Bok coaching team consists of Johan van Graan and Mzwandile Stick.

“I know Matt very well from our coaching stints together in Cape Town and Japan and have a lot of respect for his ability to build a powerful pack and his rugby philosophy,” said Coetzee.

Coetzee explained that Van Graan will be in charge of all team attack and line-out play, while Proudfoot’s responsibility will be the Boks’ scrummaging, breakdown and all aspects related to contact areas. Pieter de Villiers, the former French international who was part of former coach Heyneke Meyer’s team, will continue to be available as scrum consultant to the national team.

Proudfoot is a former Bulls front ranker who featured in the first two seasons of Super 12 rugby (now Super Rugby), in 1996 and 1997, and also played four Tests for Scotland, between 1998 and 2003. He first caught the attention as a prom- ising coach when the NWUPukke won the 2008 National Club Championships under his guidance.

In 2009, he was recruited by current GM: Rugby at SA Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, to join the Stormers as a scrum consultant, following the appointment of Gary Gold to the Springbok coaching staff.

He later joined Coetzee as assistant coach at the Stormers and Western Province respectively, where he was responsible for the forwards.

Proudfoot said he was excited about the opportunity to join the Springboks.

“The Boks are at the beginning of a new era under the coaching guidance of Allister and I am very excited and very grateful for this opportunity. It is a huge honour to be part of the Springbok coaching staff and I am looking forward this challenge.”

Coetzee, Proudfoot and other members of the Springbok management staff are currently conducting a series of visits to the local Vodacom Super Rugby teams in preparation for the announcement of the Springbok squad who will do duty against Ireland next month.

The Boks’ first assignment under the new-look coaching team is next month when Ireland visit South Africa for the three-Test Castle Lager Incoming Series, which consists of Tests in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

Coetzee is due to name his 31-man squad next Saturday.