The SA Rugby Coach of the 12 months nominees have been named with Jacques Nienaber, John Dobson and Jimmy Stonehouse on the shortlist – who was a minimize above the remainder?
Jacques Nienaber
Considerably of a shock contender among the many nominees is Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber. The Boks completed the 2022 season with a win price of 62%, beginning the 12 months with a 2-1 sequence victory over Wales and ending with a blended tour of Europe.
The Springboks narrowly received the sequence opener in Pretoria, earlier than surrendering a primary residence loss towards Wales in Bloemfontein. Cape City would settle the sequence and the Boks saved their finest for final, pummelling Wales 30-14.
Within the Rugby Championship, the Springboks received one and misplaced one towards every of the All Blacks and Wallabies, earlier than wrapping up their marketing campaign with back-to-back victories over Argentina. Regardless of ending nicely, the Boks’ efforts had been in useless as New Zealand clinched yet one more title.
The November tour started with a slim defeat to Eire adopted by nail-biting loss by the hands of France. In related vogue to their Rugby Championship trajectory, the Boks once more ended on a excessive – thrashing Italy earlier than trumping England at Twickenham to avenge their 2021 season finale.
John Dobson
After main the Stormers to a victorious 2021-22 Vodacom United Rugby Championship marketing campaign, it’s no shock John Dobson is among the frontrunners to win this award.
Regardless of a gradual begin to the match, with just one win of their first 5 video games, the Stormers discovered their toes 1 / 4 of the best way into the URC, successful 11 of their remaining common season video games to win the SA protect en path to the playoffs.
Watch: Stormers on surviving ‘a warzone’
The Stormers beat Edinburgh within the quarter-finals, Ulster within the semi-finals and the Vodacom Bulls within the closing, to clinch their first trans-continental championship.
Jimmy Stonehouse
Coach Jimmy Stonehouse is within the operating for Coach of the 12 months after main the Pumas to a maiden Currie Cup title in June 2022.
The Pumas didn’t have the very best of occasions within the common season, managing solely 5 victories in 14 matches, as they scraped previous the Sharks to take fourth place and head into the knockout phases.
MORE: Etzebeth, Kolisi contest high SA Rugby award
The lads from Mbombela had been have been hit-and-miss within the spherical robin stage of the match, however they had been all enterprise within the playoffs, beating the Cheetahs by the closest of margins in a high-scoring semi-final, earlier than comprehensively defeating Griquas within the closing to elevate the Currie Cup for the primary time.
