Friday’s pointless bronze medal affair was another one of those victories that rings hollow, a game where despite the Boks’ points dominance you can’t help but feel frustrated at our inability to piece together a cohesive attacking display.

In the wake of such a performance fans and critics alike once more called for coach Heyneke Meyer’s head to roll, Saturday’s final showing the class of the All Blacks across each discipline. They might be a ‘once in a generation’ group of players, but it is still jarring to watch the efficiency and ruthlessness with which they can dispatch a quality team like the Wallabies.

So what does this mean for Meyer’s future, many now saying the time is ripe for an injection of new blood. He certainly isn’t going down quietly, this below from TimesLive:

“I’m a proud man and I see it as a honour to coach the Boks,” Meyer said.

“But like I’ve said to my children, we Meyers do not ever give up and we never give up on each other.

“I lost 11 out of 11 with the Bulls. I was fired, vilified and spat at. But I came back every time and the team won trophies and eventually the Super Rugby title.

“In one season we lost four of our first five and everyone wrote the Bulls off, but we came back to make the semifinals, so giving up is not in my make-up. Leadership is about being able to stand in front when times are tough, not when it’s going well.

“I’m excited about our squad and the quality of the youngsters who are coming through. It took five years of full-time coaching at Super Rugby level to win the title, so it’s tough, but I will never walk away.”

With COSATU and Tony Ehrenreich slating his transformation record will the political pressure be the death knell for the beleaguered coach? Again Meyer has come out firing, this below from Sport24:

“I get unbelievable support from our politicians. I received SMSes from leading ANC members saying, ‘Well done, we are proud of you'”…

“People who question my ability as coach, should look in the mirror and ask themselves if what they are doing and saying are for the right reasons. I feel the team did well and is transformed. I sleep well at night, and those guys (who criticise) have hidden agendas.”

You know what else helps one sleep at night – a big fat pay day. If rumours are to be believed Heyneke may have just put pen to paper on a four-year R5 million per annum contract, although Sport24 reports that the decision ‘still needs to be approved by SARU’s general council early in December’.

With Eddie Jones having signed a bumper deal to coach the Stormers he would seem to be out of the running, meaning there aren’t really any names that jump off the page in terms of replacements.

Whichever way you look at it the South African rugby-loving public can’t be blamed for wanting change up top. The All Blacks don’t seem to be keen to relinquish their title as world number one any time soon, but second best would look a lot better if the brand of rugby we played is one that we could at least be proud of.

Interesting times ahead for both Heyneke Meyer and Bok fans.

[sources:sport24&timeslive]