Andy Colquhoun South African sports journalist

Rudolf Straeuli's reign as Springbok coach has been disastrous

Springbok rugby's current demise can be traced back to a cold winter's day in Scotland - 13 November, 2002 to be precise.

The tail-spin started on the field, but by the time the whole thing crashed and burned this week it had spread off-the-field and around the world in a succession of shocking headlines and barely believable pictures.

In the last two months allegations of apartheid-era style racism emerged from the very heart of the Springbok camp.

What followed was equally shocking as it was revealed that naked players had spent the night crammed in a hole, while being doused in cold water in the belief that this would help them achieve glory in the Rugby World Cup.

Straeuli quits Springboks

Bad results and worse man-management cost the job of Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli.

And the fall-out has also dragged down Union president Silas Nkanunu and managing director, Rian Oberholzer - both long-serving and highly respected members of the IRB.

But the start of the chaos can be traced back to a Wednesday afternoon in Edinburgh when Straeuli responded to a record defeat by France (30-10) in Marseille by making 10 changes.

STRAEULI'S RECORD Played: 23 Won: 12 Lost: 11

It was reckless overconfidence and Straeuli believed he could stick to his pre-tour plan of giving all his squad a start and still beat Scotland.

They did not (losing 21-6) and the following weekend's 53-3 defeat by England was shocking in its margin.

The tour tarnished a year that had begun promisingly and seemed to indicate that the Springboks might finally be getting back on track - to match the progress being made on other fronts.

The team that started the season contained three black players (with a fourth coming off the bench) while more black players than ever had appeared in the Super 12.

Only twice had teams scored more than the 13 tries the Boks managed in that Tri-Nations (although they could not avoid finishing bottom again), while relationships with government, sponsors and broadcasters were healthier than ever.

Straeuli's response to defeat was to retreat into a more conservative play

The Springboks' sole Tri-Nations title in 1998 and third place finish at the 1999 Rugby World Cup may have been distant memories.

But if a winning team with more black faces could be delivered, the legacy of 1995 might finally be about to realised.

Straeuli's response to defeat, however, was to retreat into a more conservative play.

SA rugby chief resigns

The exciting players of 2002 (such as Bolla Conradie, Brent Russell and Adi Jacobs) were suddenly out of favour, while independent spirits such as Robbie Fleck, Ollie le Roux and AJ Venter were purged.

Straeuli took the team back to a more conservative, forward-based gameplan and ran his squad as a military camp with Adriaan Heijns the security consultant mastermind of the naked antics of 'Kamp Staaldraad', finding his way onto the team's management committee.

The coach initially attempted to cover-up allegations that white lock Geo Cronje had refused to room with black counterpart Quinton Davids.

And it was as much this, as the incident itself, that put rugby back in South Africa's dock.

The King Commission will open its investigations in the New Year and will provide the backdrop to the re-ordering of South African rugby under new president Brian van Rooyen.

Nick Mallett is the only person on the selectors' shortlist

He has pledged a far-reaching overhaul of the game's administration, structures and competitions as well as promising an end to quotas.

The latter will be replaced by a "transformation plan" although he was vague on how the one differed from the other.

However, his first job is to appoint a new Springbok coach and Nick Mallett is known to be the only man on his short list.

The Stade Francais coach was forced into resigning as Springbok coach in 2000 but now that his nemesis, managing director Rian Oberholzer, has himself resigned, Mallett's way has been cleared for a return.

A deputation is likely to be despatched to Paris with all haste to secure Mallett's early release from his contract which is due to expire in June.

It is likely to include former Springbok coach Andre Markgraaff who is a rugby ally of Mallett's and has been a key adviser in Van Rooyen's campaign.