Rugby: Heyneke Meyer on the way out - reports

Steve Hansen and Heyneke Meyer embrace after a Rugby Championship clash. Photo /Getty

Steve Hansen will be concerned.

His great mate Heyneke Meyer is under threat after four years as Springbok coach with strong suggestions former Stormers boss Allister Coetzee is in line to take over.

Meyer has a test winning percentage around 67 per cent but defeat to Japan at the recent World Cup, another loss to the All Blacks in the semifinal and lack of trophies in the Springbok warchest have eaten into his support base.

Meanwhile All Black coach Hansen and Meyer have struck up a friendship since they began their international head coaching duels four years ago and an arrangement where the loser of their clashes, pays for dinner.

So far Hansen has opened his wallet once in eight tests against the Springboks. What's not to like about that arrangement and the continuing All Black supremacy against their old foes?

Meyer has coached the Springboks in 48 tests for 32 wins with 14 losses and two draws while in the same period, Hansen has been at the helm for 54 tests with three losses and two draws.

The noise from South Africa is about Coetzee's rise to take over after several earlier involvements.

He was on the Bok staff in 2000 with Harry Viljoen, became a national selector in 2003 then assisted Jake White as backs coach from 2004-2007 when they won the World Cup.

Coetzee was beaten by Peter de Villiers in the vote for the next Springbok coach then Meyer was promoted after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.