After being paraded around Grahamstown on Tuesday, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee thanked the community for giving him his core values.
After being paraded around Grahamstown on Tuesday, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee thanked the community for giving him his core values.
Coetzee revealed that Grahamstown gave him resilience – and that he has toiled to instil this quality in the Springboks.
According to him, this helped his side turn around a 19-3 deficit to beat Ireland 32-26 in Johannesburg on 18 June.
“When you get to these occasions [referring to the parade], words are really empty and mean nothing, but from my side, a big big thank you to the people of Grahamstown,” said Coetzee.
“When journalists ask me if I would want my past to be any different to how it has been, then I say ‘No. I would prefer my past to be exactly the same.’”
“I’m very, very proud to be able to tell people that I come from Grahamstown – because when you come from Grahamstown, you will always have to prove yourself.”
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