CAPE TOWN – In a team like Western Province, talent has never been an issue. There has never been a shortage in that department.
Depth is regular in that union. Ability and talent are regular. But there is nothing regular about Jaco Coetzee. And while some will be quick to tell you that nobody is irreplaceable, he is a presence that Province would certainly only have been richer by having.
On Monday, WP confirmed that the loose forward had been released from his contract early and will join Bath after signing a deal with the English Premiership side. And it’s a real loss.
Coetzee leaving will undoubtedly add fuel to the ‘will WP retain their star players’ fire seeing as it was already a huge talking point even before the Coetzee news, with a number of other big-name players – like Steven Kitshoff, Damian Willemse and Bongi Mbonambi – also the subjects of interest from clubs both domestic and abroad. But that’s a side note.
The 24-year-old former SA Schools captain, who has made 22 appearances for the Stormers and 36 for WP, is one of those players who can consider himself unlucky for not having cracked a Springbok call-up yet, and after six years in the Cape, he has been a consistently influential contributor at open side flank and No 8.
He has been a proper breakdown weapon for the Stormers in Super Rugby and Province, but his operations on the ground is but one of the things he brings.
He’s versatile. He has a high work rate. He has a skill set that any loose trio would be silly to say no to. Then there’s that ability to play as a link or to the ball, and he can just as easily get comfortable at the back of the scrum. He’s physical, too.
Again, WP have depth, and they’re far from crisis mode when it comes to those two positions, especially with the youngsters coming through, but Coetzee is a big loss. He’s star quality.
On his move, WP head coach said: "We did not want to stand in Jaco's way and we wish him all the best in England with Bath.
"Jaco is an immensely talented player and I am sure he will make a significant impact for his new team.”
No doubt, that significant impact is a given. It’s just a pity he isn’t going to continue making that impact in Cape Town.
IOL Sport