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Johann Ackermann ready to walk out on club to make return

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Johan Ackermann admits that he could return to South Africa at the end of the season despite having another year left to run on his contract with Japan Rugby League One Division Two leaders Urayasu D-Rocks.

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Ackermann, 53, last worked in South Africa in 2017, when he left the Lions after a four-year stint to move to Gloucester and has told Rapport he has an option to leave Japan and that it could be time for him to seek a new challenge and return home.

“My contract only ends in a year, but I have an option to move at the end of the current season if there is another opportunity that I would prefer.

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“It would be nice to be in South Africa again, but of course, that’s if there’s an opportunity, and also everything that goes with it,” said the former Springbok lock.

Ackermann is one of the highest-profile, highly-rated South African coaches working around the world with Franco Smith (Glasgow Warriors), Johann van Graan (Bath), and Heyneke Meyer (Houston Sabercasts).

He has been in Japan since leaving Gloucester for the Red Hurricanes Osaka in 2020 before joining Urayasu D-Rock last year and is currently attempting to lead them back into the Japanese top flight.

They are currently top of the Division Two table with 42 points, five clear of Green Rockets Tokatsu and eight points ahead of third-placed Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi.

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However, he could have a problem because there is a lack of attractive jobs in South Africa, and Rassie Erasmus, who has the biggest job of them all, is under contract until 2027.

Ackermann has been mentioned as a possible future Springbok coach but is likely to see out his lucrative deal in Japan before looking at his options in 12 months.

Ackermann’s back-row son Ruan – who has represented South Africa A – is still at Gloucester.

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Shaylen 233 days ago

Lions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up

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JW 33 minutes ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

BB didn't improve over the years, why should Jordan?


You've lost the plot of you think Love should be the fullback. That is waaay more out of leftfield than anything else I've heard.


I'm not sure Jordan can remain in the team either way. What it actually sounds like you're saying, is you want a balanced approach Jordan playing fullback next year, that he gets say 6 or 8 games through to the RC and should be looked at being in immediate contention with someone like Love, or whoever else, has played well, for the November tour.


I'm absolutely down with that. Jordan is going to have a full SR season for the first time next year, to work on facets of his game that he's never had analyzed before because of only being selected on the wing by the All Blacks. That change is huge. You can not underestimate the learning experience that this year would have been and how valuable (touch wood) and full season will be actually targeting what he felt were work ons, rather than just making stuff up or trying to improve on his strengths.


So, first of all, we should expect him to return better than how he finished, and then we'd need to see some further improvement (if it he doesn't just immediatly smash it) over July and the RC. That doesn't mean we need to see him doing what you say. He can get on great at the top level with a very limited kicking and passing game (which would be a huge improvement over BB who had a limited and innacurate kick/pass game), we need to see him comfortable with he can do in making the right decisions first and foremost. So I'd be very happy to see him working on his strength in contact under high balls and covering the backline, not see him kicking the ball down defenders throats, and trying more interplay on his returns. What I can't see, is him improving as a right winger. All his wing player success is in the style of a fullback. Probably only pure speed (working really hard to get his body/speed back to 100) would help him imo, and that's obviously a hindrance to his chances as a fullback.


TLDR; I think the poor counter attacking ability of the All Blacks has been one of the key reasons their standards have dipped over the years, and what you're suggesting is promoting that continuing. No thanks. This is not a discussion of specific players like you're making out, but of your mentality of the ABs essentially continuing with the dual playmaker setup.

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OJohn 2 hours ago
Will overseas selection make the difference for British and Irish Lions?

The trouble with appointing a coach from one state that is not the Tahs, is that the p.... at the Tahs will start weedling away immediately on ways to undermine the non Tah coach.


It's what the private school toffs do. They have a born to rule mentality, even tho they are complete failures. That is why they will only tolerate Tah coaches or weak kiwis they know they can control. A kiwi on a million Australian dollars a year will do anything the largest franchise in Australia tells him to do. He's only here for the money.


That's why Ewen McKenzie was the ideal candidate, even tho Hooper and Beale still set out straight away to undermine him to get Cheika installed but the next best alternative is to have a group of coaches from some of the franchises, except the Tahs, (not the Western Force with kiwi Cron - who is hopeless), to keep the Tahs in their place. The Wallabies must also not have more than 3 Tah players in the squad. Otherwise they will start scheming again under instruction from the NSW administration. The Tahs have spent the last 20 years undermining the Wallabies to get more players than they deserved in the squad. Their NSW egos are more important to them than the Wallabies.


I can't see why a triumverate of Super Rugy coaches can't coach the Wallabies too. I could include MacKellar in there as well but he has shown himself to select on favoritism rather than ability based on the ridiculous number of sub standard Brumbies who got a game under Rennie. He's not much of a Queenslander but the Tahs will stab in the back in a flash too eventually.

74 Go to comments
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