Bok coach job chews you up and spits you out

The signs aren’t promising. He’s prickly about what’s written about him (this from a man who says he doesn’t read the papers) and he seemed ready to pack his bags all too quickly last week. - Clinton van der Berg

NVDL: I think there is some mad justice involved in the business of being rugby's biggest celebrity. The Bok Coach is revered, his every word is examined analysed (pre and post match), that is until the bias swings the other way... when the Behemoth of Lost Matches swoops down with a vengeance.

Say this much for rugby: when it comes to stirring up muck, no other sport does it better. Racism, boardroom battles and politicking are standard fare, but on top of this we’ve had naked boot camps, spying, the Luke Watson saga, doping and shamateurism. We’ve had sex-tape claims, rape allegations, ear-biting and assault. This week we even had a player in court on drugs charges. - Clinton van der Berg

clipped from www.thetimes.co.za This is how it goes: Step 1: The job requires an ego first, a thick skin second and a coaching pedigree third. Few coaches are equipped with all three, but they apply anyway. The bucks are good. Step 2: Amid a media frenzy, the coach is appointed. Gung-ho and friendly, he vows to carry the Boks to the promised land. Step 3: Tests are lost. The media starts to bite. Talk show hosts and Sunday Times columnists get cheeky. The pressure is on. The coach starts to sweat. His sense of humour abandons him. Step 4: Madness sets in. Selections are bizarre and press conferences become must-do events for entertainment value. Players start muttering about the coach losing the plot. Step 5: The coach quits or is fired, just as the next sucker calls his agent to prepare his PowerPoint presentation. I’m not making this up. Tracking every step is a fascinating aspect of the job for every rugby writer. You know it’s going to end badly but, like an impending car crash, you can’t avert your eyes.