SA Rugby has successfully brought Johan Ackermann back to South Africa as a national team consultant starting in January.

According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, Ackermann has been appointed as a consultant for the Junior Springboks, in a massive boost to the U20 team’s coaching staff.

Ackermann is currently in Japan, where he serves as a technical advisor to Urayasu D-Rocks, having been replaced as head coach by former Scotland scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw.

The 54-year-old has expressed an interest in returning to South Africa, after the contracts of his assistant coaches Neil de Bruin and Rory Duncan were not renewed at the end of last season.

Having been named as Japan’s Division Two coach of the year after helping the D-Rocks earn promotion to the top league, Ackermann will now join the Junior Bok coaching staff headed up by Kevin Foote.

Ackermann’s role will reportedly see him focus on lineouts and driving mauls, which were a particular area of concern during the U20 World Championship in Cape Town earlier this year.