Clarity on Bok exit means Nienaber's attention is solely on World Cup title defence

news24.com:

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said the clarity around his exit at the end of the World Cup will allow him to focus squarely on his team's title defence in France in four months.Nienaber's post-World Cup move to Leinster was announced by SA Rugby last month, with assistant coach Felix Jones also leaving the Boks after the tournament.Nienaber said the fact that there was a sense of finality about his Bok future after the World Cup allows him to channel all his energies to deal with what will be a difficult World Cup Pool B that contains Ireland and Scotland. READ | Boks are on their Owens: Rassie confirms ref gurus not needed as World Rugby relations thaw"My contract was finishing at the end of the year and the one thing that we wanted and discussed as management was to be open and honest with how things develop," Nienaber said."For me at the moment, I'm glad that what's done is done and everybody knows.

I think that kind of frees you up to just focus on the World Cup."My family knows when and where we need to get a house, when to get the dog settled and all of that."It literally frees you up to put all your energy into Springbok rugby from now until the end of the World Cup."SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus made it clear that replacements for Nienaber and Jones would only be dealt with after the World Cup.READ | Stormers, Bulls and Lions take part in URC's instrumented mouth guard projectThe Boks' back-room staff has also been given the security of contract extensions until 2027, meaning there are external and internal options.Erasmus would not entertain opinions on current Bok No.

8 Duane Vermeulen getting a defensive coaching gig."I can't tell who the replacements are, but we must have someone in as the Bok