Jacques Nienaber leads a host of former Guinness PRO14 coaches to be handed new roles with the South Africa rugby team after being named Springbok head coach. Deon Davids, Felix Jones, Mzwandile Stick and Daan Human have also taken up positions as South Africa look to build on the success of last year’s World Cup. For Nienaber, who was assistant coach in Japan, the promotion represents reward for his previous work and he is relishing the chance to lead the side. “This is a massive honour and responsibility, but I think I have a good understanding of what it entails, especially in this new structure,” said the one-time Munster coach. “It is a big step-up for me in terms of carrying the day-to-day leadership role and there will be other adjustments but, in many ways, it will be business as usual. “We have built a good culture in the past two years and we’ll simply be looking to extend that.” 🇿🇦 JUST IN! Springbok coaching team named👍 Continuity key as experienced Nienaber steps up🏉 Stick, Jones, Davids and Human to assist🔗 https://t.co/RYvkVnhCdN#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/drIDqS1DJn— Springboks (@Springboks) January 24, 2020 All five of the new appointments have experience working in the Guinness PRO14 which they will look to bring to the national set-up. Davids will take up a position as Nienaber’s assistant and oversaw the Isuzu Southern Kings as recently as last season. CEO of South African Rugby, Jurie Roux, believes the new coaching team will be able to maintain the standards set en route to the World Cup win. He said: “The coaching team has undergone a refresh but there is a strong theme of continuity and succession planning.” Nienaber will report to director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, who he also worked under after joining Munster in 2016.
