Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal could be lured back to his native South Africa after being installed as the favourite to succeed Peter de Villiers as Springbok coach.
The reign of the madcap De Villiers is set to finally come to an end this month and Smal, who was forwards coach for the 2007 World Cup winning side under Jake White, is being courted by the South African Rugby Union (SARU) to take the job.
The big, uncompromising Smal is a radically different character from the wildly eccentric De Villiers, but the powers that be in Seth Efrika have been impressed with what he’s done with our lads and are prepared to take him off our hands before next season’s Six Nations.
According to a report in the Irish Independent today, the SARU are prepared to buy Smal out of his current contract with the IRFU, which expires at the end of the 2012/13 campaign.
Smal has been with Ireland since Declan Kidney since Kidney took the reins in 2008 and is regarded as an integral part of the management set-up, with a number of players, particularly Paul O’Connell, often speaking of the importance of the role he has performed with the Irish pack.
Buying Smal out of his contract would not come cheap, but although he is said to be happy in Ireland, the carrot of managing his native country might be too appetising to resist.
Commenting on the matter, a spokesperson for the IRFU said: “It is not IRFU policy to comment on contract speculation.
“As far as we are concerned, Gert Smal is contracted with us until the end of next season and that situation has not changed.”
Whether or not Smal will be a part of the Ireland set-up will become a lot clearer by the end of the next month, when the SARU are due to vote on who they would like to succeed De Villiers at the helm.
He might be Smal by name, but the South African giant would be a huge loss to the Irish set-up if he does decide to pack his bags.
