Super Rugby Coaching crisis looms for Stormers

The Stormers could be facing a coaching crisis later in the season as two of their coaches appear to be on their way out of Newlands.

The Stormers will start the 2015 Super Rugby season without defensive guru, Jacques Nienaber whose defensive systems have defined the Stormers game over the last seven years.

Nienaber has joined the South African Rugby Union High Performance Department where he has been involved since January 2013.

The bigger problem for the Stormers is that head coach Allister Coetzee has been extensively linked with Japanese club Kobe Kobelco Steelers as replacement for Gary Gold who is moving to the Sharks.

Coetzee is said to be unhappy that Gert Smal was appointed above him and he is also not happy with former Bok coach Paul Treu being appointed as his assistant.

Coetzee comes off contract later this year and according to South African Super Rugby broadcaster SuperSporthe will leave later this year for Japan unless Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer is sacked opening the door for Coetzee to lead the team.

The Western Province coach has won the Currie Cup twice and although he has not won a Super Rugby title the Stormers have won the South African Conference twice.

Japanese sources have confirmed that Coetzee, who won the Rugby World Cup as Jake White’s assistant, will join the Japanese club in July after the Super Rugby season with a get out clause in case the Bok job opens up.

While neither the Stormers not the Steelers have confirmed Coetzee’s appointment in Japan it it said to be an open secret in coaching circles.

The only question appears to be whether the Stormers will try to bring an end to Coetzee’s reign as coach on a high or whether they will simply “go through the motions” while they wait to hear who the next coach will be.