Jake White, the former Springbok coach whose greatest success was being the coach of the winning team at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, has made it known that he intends applying for his old job after the 2011 World Cup.
Rugby365.com reports that Peter de Villiers, the current coach, has a contract to last till after the 2011 World Cup.
White wants back and he wants to bring with him the coaching team he had in 2007, which included Eddie Jones, the former Wallaby coach, Gert Smal who is at present Ireland’s forward coach and Allister Coetzee who is the present Western Province and Stormers coach.
He said it would be fantastic to get his old team back. “Eddie and I would both really want to win the World Cup again.”
White has had several coaching-related jobs since 2007 – including establishing a coaching unit and acting as a consultant to the Lions, Saracens of London, Toulon in France and Suntori Sungoliath in Japan where Jones is involved. White’s actual coaching post is of the Stellenbosch koshuis (residence) Wilgenhof, the oldest koshuis at the university and the one with the highest profile. They play in the competitive koshuis league.
After the 2007 World Cup, White’s post was advertised. He told the Sunday newspaper Rapport that he did not re-apply because he was tired and because he did not think that SARU really wanted him.
He went on to say: “I can’t help wondering where the team would be today if I had had the same chance as Graham Henry to stay on.”
Asked what he would do if Coetzee got the job, White said: “That would also be fantastic. I am sure he will want to involve me. Allister’s strong point is that he does not have an ego.”
White also warned that South Africa will be vulnerable at the next World Cup if it does not quickly come up with new ideas.
“The team that best gets its defence right will win,” said White.
“New Zealand’s defence is better while ours has gone backwards. We won’t make it if we don’t come up with new ideas.”
Tweet
“Allister’s strong point is that he does not have an ego.”
Whereas you DO have an ego Jake!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 1) : Both of them has my vote
I was hoping Allister would take over from Snorre anyway..
Splits emerge in Bok camp
By Peter Bills
Brisbane – A major split has opened up in the Springbok coaching management team, sources close to South African rugby alleged last night.
They say significant differences exist between the coaching style espoused by assistant coaches Dick Muir and Gary Gold. Head coach Peter de Villiers is said to be wavering.
The source, who has impeccable connections to the Boks, told the Cape Times: “Dick Muir wants to play a complete attacking game, ball-in-hand the whole time like the New Zealanders have done in this Tri-Nations.
“Gary Gold wants to play a structured game, based much more on traditional Springbok rugby values. And Peter de Villiers doesn’t know which way to go forward.”
The source further claimed that the senior players, men like John Smit and Victor Matfield, were playing a major part in running the team, but that internal belief and discipline was breaking down under the lack of a single clear voice in the camp.
The Springboks’ performances on this tour seemed to confirm such suggestions. They looked uncertain as to which game plan they were supposed to be playing. At times in Brisbane, they played a traditional South African style, driving the ball up strongly among the forwards and then hoisting high kicks.
On other occasions, they threw the ball around down the backline as though it were a game of Sevens, and their passing accuracy was often pretty ordinary. When they did that, they looked what they were – a side who are clearly uncomfortable playing in this manner because they are not sufficiently familiar with it.
Against Australia, even though they matched the Wallabies’ two tries with scores of their own from Jaque Fourie and Gurthrö Steenkamp and fought back in the second half from 23-3 to 23-13, their indiscipline, highlighted by Fourie’s absurd second-minute yellow card, gifted Australia six penalty goals. That was enough to win the match.
Suggestions of discord at the top of Springbok rugby would certainly explain this disastrous Tri-Nations tour, which ended on Saturday night with a third consecutive defeat.
Somehow, half-a-dozen top South African players have, in the course of less than a year, gone from certain starters for an elite World XV to a bunch of also-rans, players who hardly look international class besides appearing demoralised, disenchanted and totally out of sorts.
Something has happened to bring about this state of affairs, and the allegations made concerning the Springbok coaching hierarchy would explain a lot. Because the fact is that even in their team selections, the South Africans have got it wrong consistently in the last eight months.
For example, they clearly chose the wrong loose trio in Brisbane, and paid the price as Wallaby flank David Pocock, albeit illegally on occasions, dominated the breakdown and made a significant contribution to the Australians winning the match.
It is important to remember that this crass Tri-Nations campaign should not be viewed in isolation. The rot began to set in late last year when the Springboks toured the northern hemisphere and even endured the humiliation of defeat by English club side Leicester, besides also losing to France and Ireland.
Then, last month, the nonsensical decision was made to send Smit and Matfield, South Africa’s two key men for next year’s World Cup in New Zealand, all the way to Wales for a meaningless Test match at the end of a long, hard Super 14 season. Still worse, the Springbok management compounded the lunacy by picking Matfield against Italy, a second-tier rugby nation.
It was as though coach De Villiers felt unable to go into a Test match without his two most senior players, fearful of losing if they were not there.
But this non-stop diet of rugby has come home to haunt the South Africans. Their senior players have looked close to falling apart on this tour, a pale shadow of their true selves and rugby men who seemed to be merely going through the motions, little more.
Smit was asked on Saturday night if his side’s repeated failures could be attributed to the absence of Fourie du Preez. Wisely, he resisted the temptation to clutch at straws.
“If we looked at it that way, we certainly wouldn’t be giving ourselves a fair chance of competing not only for next year’s World Cup, but for the remaining games,” he said.
“We have to believe we have got more in our squad than just the loss of one man, and at the moment, I think we probably haven’t adapted well enough without him.”
Smit also said, highly revealingly given the Springoks’ palpable wrong loose trio selections: “When you neglect the breakdown, teams will kill you.”
Pocock did, but South Africa then blundered still further. By bringing on Dewald Potgieter after 55 minutes, they conceded their error, yet then took off Ryan Kankowski, who had been a largely effective runner in broken play and did some good covering.
Pierre Spies, who had again been pretty anonymous apart from one cover tackle on Drew Mitchell, mystifyingly stayed on the field to the end.
So I was right.
@klempie (Comment 5) : And apparently so was Brendan Cannon.
@klempie (Comment 6) :
Where is your ‘sauce’
We’ve been through this ad nauseum and there is no proof that there’s a rift in the Bok side.
There is also no proof the senior players are coaching the team.
Peter Bills is an Irish idiot who doesn;t know what he is talking about!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 7) :
i think a formal apology is required wpw ! 😆
@wpw (Comment 7) : Whenever someone makes a disclosure to the press on the basis of anonymity, for some reason the likes of you, dismiss it as a fabrication. Are you saying journalists are, on the whole, liars?
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 8) : I’m wondering if Cannon can retract his.
@klempie (Comment 10) :
I’ve just watched it… and it’s a bit of a storm in a tea cup !
Still i loved how he asked PDV after the match …. ‘if he tought he was the man to lead the Bok into the WC’ !
If Jake White was so good why has he not got a big coaching role somewhere???he is the epitome of a huge ego.Give allister snors job ,we need a totally new game plan,snor’s continious use of jakes old plans are now outdated plain and simple!!!
@wpw (Comment 1) : Jake is not the answer(antwoord)haha!!
The Boks should be coached by
Allister Coetzee: Head coach & defensive coach
Slaptjips: Backline coach
Matt Proudfoot: Forwards coach.
It wouldn’t be good for WP rugby but who cares it will be great for Bok rugby.
@Pokkel (Comment 14) : 👿 🙄
@wpw (Comment 15) :
@wpw (Comment 7) : Also no eveidence the PDV is coaching… 😕
Did anyone see Voldys piece in response to this, could not believe he penned it.
@Just a Fan (Comment 17) : No concrete evidence. The anecdotal evidence, however, is damning.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 18) : the best thing he’s ever written. I could have written that myself!
I relly respect Jake’s achievements, but not so sure about this one… He hasn’t done anything significant for 3 years, the Lions intervention reaped nothing, and his issue with fetchers may catch up with him under the new rules.
That said, I do think Coetzee is a fantastic coach, who for too long was overshadowed by the likes of Jake and especially glory-boy Rassie.
In June/July/August 2006 White’s Boks lost 5 on the trot. 1 vs France, 2 vs Oz (incl 0-49) and 2 vs NZ.
@wpw (Comment 22) : And yet despite that, he didn’t accuse the IRB refs of trying to trump up attendance figures for the 2007 WC by ordering their referees to cheat in the French loss.
hehehehehe. You make it so easy Pensie.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 18) : @robdylan (Comment 20) : I was surprised as well. First time in a long while where I actually agree with something Keo wrote.
@klempie (Comment 23) :
Thats not the point you GIT!
PDV had a better year in 2009 than Jake White EVER had. Now after 3 losses (away from home) without 6 of his first choice players Jake is throwing his CV around and wants Div’s job.
I suggest you shut your trap maergat!! 😈 😉
@wpw (Comment 25) : 😛
Wesley, calm down please. Personal attacks are not on. 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
Screw you: you cant tell people what to do. 😈
It is a cynical and shrewd move by Jake White, however his legacy remains and he need not have a second shot… But I am watching this closely, wonder what will develop from this, basically on the eve of RWC our cracks are exposed… Divvy has lost control, he is emotionally out of his depth…
@robdylan (Comment 27) : I enjoy it. 😈
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
So calling me ‘pensie’ is not a personal attack?? 😈
I recon Snor will stay anyway just get Allister, Slaptjips and Proudfoot to help him and get rid of Muir and Gold. And don’t let Snor speak to the media.
@wpw (Comment 31) : Some might say it is a term of endearment. 😈
@Pokkel (Comment 32) : And don’t let him coach/manage anything.
@wpw (Comment 31) : never 😈
Gold has always been a liability… Coached the softest Stormers pack in history (quite an achievement) and is rewarded with the Bok job.
@wpw (Comment 31) :
Nope: just a statement of fact.
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Yes, I also am not impressed with Gary Gold as the forwards coach, Gert Smal was a huge loss… The trio of Divvy, Gold, Muir seems too emotional, too liberal, too similar, you need a hard man there and Os doesn’t have enough authority…
@robdylan (Comment 36) :
He also screwed up big time at London Irish!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 31) : would you prefer to be called ‘ Gadsby’?? 😆
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Gold does not like that statement, although it’s true, commented on a FaceBook thread once and he (Gary) responded quite angry 😈
Personally – i think Jake is the wrong man for the job, i don’t think he was as good as he was cracked up to be. He just like Div was on the recieving end of a good deal of once in a generation players, he got extremely lucky in the RWC 2007 – we didn’t have to play any of the three sides his team struggled to beat consistently.
His Tri-nations win was on a single bonus point. Not an outright win like last years efforts.
Jake was a harregat, windgat and after Rudolph – My granny could have made the Boks look better, despite being six feet under, tthan Rudi ever could have.
So personally selecting Jake would be a step backward.
Besides, the pressure on Div might well be the turning point in him ending the bullshit around he isn’t the coach – its the senior players, Gary Gold, Dick Muir stories certain pressmen seem intent on spinning continously – without an ounce of proof.
@Pokkel (Comment 40) :
You mean “gatsby”.
Get it right Philistine. 🙄
😆
@Big Fish (Comment 43) : Someone had to say it 😆
Jakes koshuis coaching record 5 games: Won 1, Drawn 1, Lost 3
@Big Fish (Comment 43) : Speaking of which, the Fresh Stop at the V&A Waterfront makes a mean gatsby, goes under the name humungachow but its the same thing.
@Big Fish (Comment 43) : @Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 44) : my bad 😳 😆
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 45) : 😈
maybe he figured how to squeeze his 4 year plan into 1 🙄
and i want to be a millionaire, but as my mom used to say
“[email protected] in die een hand and wens in die ander hand ane kyk watter een draa die meeste gewig”
For the souties “[email protected] in the one hand and wish in the other hand and see which one carries the most weight”
Can we rather have Eddy jones? HE is supposedly the one that one the RWC not Jake. 😉
A poll from 365
Who should coach the Springboks?
Peter de Villiers 6%
Jake White 34%
Allister Coetzee 15%
Heyneke Meyer 23%
Frans Ludeke 1%
Eddie Jones 5%
Rassie Erasmus 6%
Nick Mallett 5%
AN Other 1%
@KSA Shark © (Comment 51) :
hehehe
What is your take on that??
I believe that if you say something enough times people may start believing it as FACT. 😉
A few examples:
The Boks are coached by the senior Boks!
Adi Jacobs is weak defensively!
Robdylan is NOT a stalker! 😈
The Boks/Sharks turbo reverse everytime John Smit wears the no 3 jersey!
And finally, Rob Linde is one of the top locks in the French league!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 52) :
Its really unbelievable that An other got just as many votes as Frans Ludeke!! 😈
@wpw (Comment 54) :
Bwhahahahahhahaa
I’d rather Heyneke than Jake. But honestly, it’s got to be Allister.
U guys read this one about Jake, he’s even made it onto an advertising site. If there’s one thing Jake knows, its how to sell himself. http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/423/50396.html
@KSA Shark © (Comment 52) : Why do people want Rassie to coach? He hasn’t really done anything in ages.
@wpw (Comment 54) : Sheeeeesh must be a confidence boost for the man 😀
@wpw (Comment 53) : Robdylan is NOT a stalker!
ROFL
Well now i’m lost into the dark we need a coach PDV must go and JW i like the dude but will it work for a 2nd time well Russie is a good coach even if he hasn’t coached for a while maybe he’ll up his coaching to prove a point and time is running out the WC 2011 is around the corner they should of had a good team that plays all day together so they can get used to each other and we need to keep the WC 2007 in SA 😆