Jake White wants his old job back – but only as an interim measure to help get Springbok rugby back on track before handing over to his former assistant, Allister Coetzee, after 2011.
SuperSport
The former Springbok coach, in arguing that he should be given the chance to be a caretaker coach for the Boks until the World Cup in New Zealand, reckons that 12 months is enough time for him to turn the team around and prepare them for a second consecutive World Cup title.
The clamour for incumbent Bok coach Peter de Villiers has increased following the defeat to Australia at the weekend which leaves the South Africans looking back at a lamentable year since they won the Tri-Nations last September.
White told The Times newspaper on Sunday that he would like a chance to fix the Boks as a crisis measure, but elaborated further in a chat with SuperSport.com on Monday. He said he agrees with the view of many critics that the blunders that have been made along the way to a record which reads lost seven and won six in that time period, mean De Villiers should make way for someone new, even at this late stage in the build-up to the next World Cup.
The former Bok mentor, who guided the Boks from the nadir they had reached at the end of the Rudolf Straeuli reign to respectability and then the World Cup title in 2007, believes his former assistant, Coetzee, is the future for the Boks long-term. But he says it would be unfair to bring the current Western Province and Stormers coach into the system as Bok head coach as replacement for De Villiers just 12 months before the World Cup.
“Allister was the man who should have been appointed to replace me after the last World Cup. I said so at the time, and I remain convinced about that,” said White on Monday.
“But I think it might be a bit unfair on Allister, or anyone else for that matter, to be brought in on a 12 month contract and expected to fix it in that space of time with no guarantee that they will stay on beyond the World Cup. When you take over the national job, you do need a bit of time to grow into it.
“At a World Cup you need someone who has been a head coach at international level for a while. I am prepared to do that job and take it on on a temporary basis. I have experience of what is required, I know the players because two thirds of the guys who make up the core group were players I coached up until the last World Cup.”
Some might think White is an opportunist by putting up his hand to coach the Boks at this time when there is so much growing pressure on De Villiers following a last placed finish in the Tri-Nations, but White says he has just become so frustrated seeing the reputation he helped the Boks build being destroyed by poor decisions and tactics.
That is why after initially saying he wanted a chance to take on a second term after De Villiers’s contract has run its course at the end of 2011, White is now wanting to take the job on now. He has spoken to South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins, and if his proposal is accepted, he will re-employ former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones as his assistant.
‘AMBULANCE JOB’
“I have spoken to Eddie and he is very eager to get involved again if the opportunity arises and he would love to have a crack at winning another World Cup,” said White.
After that, however, White would want to hand over the reins to Coetzee, who together with current Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal, was at his side throughout his successful reign as Bok coach from 2004 to the end of 2007.
“I definitely do think Allister is the man to take the Boks to the next World Cup after this one and I would like to help pave the way for him by using the next 12 months to get the Boks back on the right path.”
White is emphatic that 12 months is enough time for the Boks to come right with the correct guidance, and cites the late Kitch Christie, the man who guided South Africa to their first World Cup title in 1995, as an example of someone who successfully carried off an “ambulance job”.
“It’s not too late for the Boks to change coach, Kitch did it successfully and I would want to take the job on similar terms,” said White.
“We were the strongest defensive team in world rugby a short while ago, now suddenly we are conceding 22 tries in a Tri-Nations season. That is unacceptable, and there are such elementary mistakes that are being made. It’s extremely frustrating to watch it happen and it saddens me to see it.
“Neither myself or Eddie are in contract with anyone at the moment, we can start next week if Saru want us to. We are available to work with the Boks again, and I have told Oregan Hoskins as much. To me it’s hard to imagine how they can think they can carry on with the current set-up, but getting someone with the necessary experience in for just 12 months is going to be difficult.
“I have the advantage of having worked with most of the players, I live in South Africa and know the personalities and the issues. The players we have in this country are good enough to win a World Cup, they just need guidance.”
28: as Snorre bly, gee asb net vir hom twee goeie afrigters en ‘n goeie media konsultant. Ek stel die volgende media konsultant voor: John Smit.
@ superBul:
If I remember correctly, PDV petitioned for Jake’s job via the media when he was called back in the middle of the EOYT. He said that he will make Puke his captain and easily pick 10 non white (excuse the pun) players and still win tournaments.
28@ superBul:
Wat dink jy gaan Snorrie doen einde van die jaar?? … Natuurlik gaan hy ook Toetse “Gooi” om spelers te rus…
Graham Henry het die hele Super 14 van 2007 “Gegooi” om die All Blacks ‘n kans te gee op die Wêreldbeker… en daar’s sprake dat hy dit WEER gaan doen.
Frans Ludeke het die Stormers Game op Nuweland hierdie jaar in die Super 14 “Gegooi” ten einde die Super 14 te wen…..
Mens kan argumenteer dat Heyneke Meyer ‘n paar aanvanklike seisoene “Gegooi” het met die Bulle te einde hulle sterker te maak op die langeduur…..
@ rugbybal:
aaagh ou pel ek sal dit moer swaar vat as ons afrigters vervang met ander as die wat deur die jare wen kultuur eerste stel, ek dink HM, FL, PR. Ek kan nog glo as ons vir hulle gaan maar weer terug nee man.
Ek dink in elk geval dat Peter gaan bly, hoop net die heat word te veel vir DM en GG. En kry om hemelsnaam net n verdedigings afrigter.
grootblousmile wrote:
ag kom nou jy ie nie ernstig nie. Die haat wat opgebou het teen PdeV maak ouens irasioneel dink. Is julle reg vir regerings inmenging? Wel ek belowe jou daar gaan wees. Laat hulle net aan Peter n ultimatum stel om ander hulp in te roep.
@ superBul:
Verseker HM of FL is ook my eerste keuse vir Bok coach, maar in terme van World Cup, dink ek Jake is ons beste kans. Ek dink ook Pieter gaan bly, net omdat Saru te trots is om te erken dat hulle verkeerd was. As hy bly dan moet hulle as troosprys vir ons nuwe hulpafrigters gee. Slap tjips en Mattew Proudfoot is my keuses.
35@ superBul:
Ek dink regeringsamptenare is ook nou al moeg vir Snorrie…. na sy uitsprake, veral na die Bees-Gate stories.
Kyk, ek sê nie White moet die job kry nie, lees my comments bo, jy sal sien.
Van Snorrie het ek genoeg gehad, as hy aanbly wen ons NIE die Wêreldbeker NIE, ek sal ‘n goeie weddenskap daarop vat. Meer as dit, as hy aanbly sien ons NIE die Final NIE!
I think there are too many ego’s at stake for Jake to get the job back, or even to get into the Bok Camp.
SARU will definitely not appoint him. It will be an admission that they made a mistake to let him go in the first place, and they will have to face up to embarassing questioning.
Jake will also not want to assist Peter. Otherwise he would have said “I will help the Boks” and not” Fire Divvie and let me and Eddie take over”.
I also doubt Divvie will allow Jake to help him, even if Jake wanted to. It means he wil have to admit he is not good enough to replace Jake.
Nope, the only way that SARU will go, if any way, is Allistair. He is black.
But I would prefer Jake. He has been in exactly this boat which the Boks are finding themselves in, and he has learned valueble lessons that no one else available for the Boks have. He has litterally been there, done that. Let him do the ambulance job and Heyneke or Frans or Allistair can again take over from there.
Ek weet darem nie, met dieselfde coach en dieselfde spelers het ons laasjaar amok gemaak. Die verskil was net die manne het doelwitte gehad en het as n span saam gespeel. Hulle wou die BIL wreek en was kwaai begeesterd. So ook na die Bulle se sukses het hulle een doel gehad en dit was om die ABs te mors, en hul het. Nou mik hulle vir WB en ek glo vas ons gaan dit doen.
More comments from others that i agree with
Jake, if you are so good, then surely you should be coaching one of the top international sides (or any international side for that matter)? If that’s too much, then at least a currie cup side, or a heineken cup side? Without Eddie Jones, would you have won the world cup?
38@ Met Uysh:
I recon you are right, there is no way a Hoskins or other SARU fool will allow Jake back, they’d rather sit with Snorrie and let the tide take us into oblivion.
Moeg vir die bokke politiek, sit asb bietjie ‘n CB draad op dat ons kan begin rugby gesels.
41@ bdb:
Wat verkies jy… Wie gaan wen in die CC Eindstryd tussen die Bulle en die Sharks??
@ superBul:
Ek wil ook so glo maar hel, die mense maak dit moeilik!n Dis moeilik om verby ‘n 31-6 agterstand te kyk, ‘n week nadat ons in baie dieselfde bootjie was en ek, vir een, het geglo dit was ‘n fluke en ons sal nie weer so uitgevang word nie, maar ba! daar vang hulle ons nog erger.
Ek kan my ook nie troos dat Jake se 2006 jaar so swak was en nou is ons weer so swak nie. Hoekom moet ons nou WEER daardeur gaan? Hierdie spelers was omtrent almal daar, mens sou dink hulle het iets geleer daaruit.
Ons kon die naweek gewen het, maar dit verander nie die twee naweke se swak beginne nie. En die paar swak beslissings aan die einde van die game verander ook nie die halftyd telling nie. Ons was eens die beste verdedigende span, nou die swakste.
As Divvie dit kan erken en die regte ouens kan inkry om dit te fix, dan se ek right, ons kan regkom. Maar as hy aankarring en regtig glo niks is fout nie, dan moet hy waai, want jy kan nie ‘n man maak sien wat nie wil sien nie.
Julle moet nie vergeet nie, PDV gooi nou al 7 toetse vir die wereldbeker.
Dit gaan sy beste “excuse” nog wees.
@ grootblousmile:
hehehe…Bulle ??? Praat jy nou van die onder 21’s?? 😉
@ biltongbek:
Dis ‘n konspirrissie! Ons maak net of ons swak is dan vang ons almal uit volgende jaar! 😉
PDV gaan nie die wereld beker wen nie, hy gaan ook nie ophou om sy mond verby te praat nie, hy gaan ook nie sterk genoeg wees om veranderinge aan te bring nie, SARU is te slapgat om die regte ding te doen.
Jake White mag miskien nie almal se favorite wees nie, maar ons soek nou iemand om die wereld beker te wen, en hy het.
45@ Met Uysh:
Haha, gedog ek gaan reaksie kry….
46@ Met Uysh:
Vlok soos dit vir my lyk is ons besig om ons self te vang met daai een!
Met Uysh wrote:
Eishhhhhhhhhhh, “konspirrissie” is ‘n freegin lelike Anglisisme….. demmmmmmmm!!
The reality is that Jake’s time has come and gone.
We need to look forward, which is something that Hoskins and SARU are not very good at.
Heyneke has to be there and for political correctness Allister.
Although the affirmative action system is fundamentally flawed and proof of that is Allister being seen as an affirmative appointment when in fact he is a good coach.
When management decisions are made for the wrong reasons inevitably it comes back to bite you in the arse.
That is the way of the world.
We in South Africa will just take a very long time to learn this lesson the hard way.
Nouja, laat ek gaan aantrek vir Muurbal…. gooi mielies en rakkette!
Praat later!
As ek Hoskins was, roep ek Snorrie in en laat hom op aandag staan…
Dan sê ek, “Springbok Coach, gee 1 tree vorentoe…. waar de hel dink jy gaan jy heen De Villiers!”
Hahaha
@ tight head:51 – Tighthead, I think AC is a good coach too. Would have had AC anyday of the week instead of PdV. BUT don’t think anything will happen from now until after 2011 wc. Think we are stuck with all 3 coaches.
Really even if we got rid of Muir and Gold we would be far, far better.
I actually would like us to put our pride aside here and get for the very first time a overseas head coach. I would get Mitchell to coach the Boks after next year’s world cup or bring him in now. Think he is a great coach. Even Plumtree would be fine. We don’t have that many great coaches. Meyer would be fine too but somehow like those two kiwi coaches we have right here coaching Lions and Sharks.
I would say keep PDV and bring Meyer and Jones in as assitent coaches
oops i meant assistant
but would rather have White there but really doub that gonna happen, would be SARU saying sorry we made a mistake come help us to fix it….
@ Durban Bulle:
Just look how wise a Bulls supporter is.
Ek sal dit ook so verkies.
Laat DM en GG net ver wegkom van die span.
SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2006
Jake White, maybe it’s time you went
Jake White – under pressure Photo: Rugby365
South African rugby is in trouble. As South africans our psychology is one that causes blind spots. Perhaps due to our isolation, we developed an arrogance that claimed we were the best and since readmission we have shown a hunger to be the best.
The Jake White Plan was enough to get us to number two because of the reliance on passion and physicality – two attributes that allow us to beat most sides. But they would never be enough to establish us as number one. The Australians have worked for years on building high-skill attacking rugby. While their forward game has not allowed them the strength of possession to truly unleash this, the names of their backs over the last ten years shows some of the most skillful guys yet to play the game. The All Blacks do physical and passionate rugby well, but they have also had backs who have out-skilled and out-thought the Boks.
@ superBul:
I can post the link to this article, just look how similar the feeling was against Jake and now against Peter. Maybe different scenarios but almost the same old story.
http://sarugbyview.blogspot.com/2006/07/jake-white-maybe-its-time-you-went.html
Users Online
Total 56 users including 0 member, 56 guests, 0 bot online
Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm
No Counter as from 31 October 2009: 39,506,846 Page Impressions
_