White wants direction; not a national director
14 Mar 2006
Springbok coach Jake White believes the appointment of a national director of rugby will do nothing to improve the situation in South Africa.
While most, including me, are screaming that such an appointment be made, White said he would prefer to operate free of any director as he felt it would only complicate and not simplify any national coaching position.
“People are looking for answers in the wrong place. The answer to our problems is not the appointment of a national director of rugby. The answer is consistency in coaching appointments at a national and regional level and a succession plan for each person, agreed to by the board of the SA Rugby Union,” White told Keo.co.za, adding that he had reservations about a national director of rugby appointment because of all the politics involved in creating such a position.
“The less interference to the Bok side the better,” said White. “And I think a national director of rugby would want the Springboks to fall under his job responsibility. I don’t think this is right. We currently have a general manager of national teams in former Stormers and Welsh international Andy Marinos. He does a fantastic job, but his focus is very much on the administration around the team. He has nothing to do with the rugby side of it and that is the way I, as a national coach, would prefer it. I know others disagree.”
White said that it was outrageous to be calling for the heads of Kobus van der Merwe and Frans Ludeke, to name but two of the country’s five regional coaches.
“Take Frans as an example. He has lost four of his first five matches, but the Cats have lost something like 44 of their last 49 matches in the competition. In this time they used Frans, Tim Lane and a coaching trio of Chester Williams, Rassie Erasmus and Brendan Venter. Getting rid of the coach isn’t the answer.
“Where’s Chester? So much went into his development in 2004 and 2005 and now he hasn’t got a team to coach. Where’s Brendan? He was very good at London Irish but he’s not coaching? What would have happened to Rassie if the Cheetahs were not a new entity in the Super 14? Would he also have been sacked.
“In Cape Town it is the same. What good would it do to be sacking Kobus (van der Merwe) and Gary (Gold) after one season? It is short-term knee-jerk reaction. As I said in an earlier interview, if there was a rugby blueprint that embraced the national coach and the five regional coaches and put in place a three-to-five year plan and succession plan, we wouldn’t have coaches coaching from one week to the next wondering if this week is their last. It is not right.”
White also said it was crucial that the top 140 players were identified between himself and the five regional coaches.
“We don’t have a draft system. We don’t have proper identification. There are some very good players running around in the Vodacom Cup that could be adding value to our Super 14 squads. But no one is talking. No one is acting on what is a crisis situation for us. The first five weeks of the competition have not been good to us. All the coaches and myself need to be discussing how it can be improved, not on a casual basis, but in a constructive way to find solutions.”
White said it distressed him that his All Blacks counterpart Graham Henry (and his fellow national coaches) were spending a day a week with the five New Zealand franchises. At this Henry interacts with the regional coach and those players in the national frame. It also gives him a chance to see first hand players outside of the national framework.
“We simply don’t have that kind of working relationship in our rugby,” said White. “I’ve popped in at the odd union for a casual visit. Earlier in the year I indicated that I would like to play a more active role during the competition, in terms of interacting with the coaches and adding value to their campaigns. Nothing materialised.”
White, after five weeks of Super 14 woe, is frustrated. He believes he could be making a difference. Instead he is far removed from the South African Super 14 scene.
“Now is the time to fix it,” he says. “We can’t keep on plodding along like this.”
265 Comments
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14 Mar 2006, 20:19 pm
sa side as of 5th week in super 14
15 monty
14 ndungane.A
13 fourie
12 de villiers
11 habana
10 hougaard/pretorius
9 ricky j
8 big joe
7 juan smith
6 schalk burger
5 matfield
4 botha
3 shimmy ( very flexible player )
2 smit (c)
1 os du randt
22 – jaco vd vesthuizen
21 – ndungane
20 – fourie du preez ( pienaar in squad, not 22)
19 – hougaard/ pretorius
18 – wannerberg/ rossow/ van der beg
17 – bj botha
16 – gary botha
14 Mar 2006, 20:49 pm
Well done on above comments bokfan………agree with you 100%
14 Mar 2006, 21:45 pm
Bokfan
Giscard pieters at 14 surely
Is Shimmy big enough for loosehead ?
Monty at Fly
Roets at 15
8th still up for grabs , Ryno , Wickus perhaps
14 Mar 2006, 22:08 pm
So what does a “national director of rugby” actually DO behind his desk for 8 hours a day and 48 weeks a year to earn what is certain to be a million Rand plus annual salary?
It’s a sinecure — a meaningless job for a pal. Another gravy-train position.
14 Mar 2006, 22:14 pm
“Katsesnor
At least the Bulls win at home. The majority of Jakes squad is booed by their own supporters. Go figure..”
The Bulls LOST at home to the Brumbies, remember?
14 Mar 2006, 22:42 pm
Tackler
I assume you mean the Stormers by “Jakes squad?”
The Newlands crowd is very much in support of the team, they just do NOT support their style of play at the moment. Case in point being Kreef’s unimaginative “kick first” option taking.
When these guys play for the Boks its a completely different story.
14 Mar 2006, 23:06 pm
Apologies Tackles, I’ll redirect that post to Xkreni-WP.
15 Mar 2006, 06:16 am
Let Jake do as he wants he has showen all that he can take the boks to another level.
15 Mar 2006, 06:30 am
Stroily took the Boks down to the parking garage beneath the basement storage area, but Jake’s elevator hasn’t taken the Boks much higher than back to ground level yet.
Remember they have already had to hand back the Tri-Nations Cup which they won in Jake’s first year when all his moves and many of his team selections and combinations were still new to the opposition.
15 Mar 2006, 07:42 am
Tackler Jake came flippin close to a double and blooded a few youngsters along the way.
Ton say that the bok schedule for this year is hectic is an understatement.
World cup next year and thats all that counts in my books.
The World Cup thats the prize no matter what elevator your on.
15 Mar 2006, 07:54 am
Besides, the Kiwi’s elevator seems to get stuck between floors at every World Cup. Never, quite reaches the top floor when it really matters.
15 Mar 2006, 07:56 am
We wont win the world cup……… not when we dont select the best players like r counter parts. So dream on !!!
my blood is blue
15 Mar 2006, 08:15 am
Jake se moer, he is a typical schoolmaster with his favourites and all.
15 Mar 2006, 09:27 am
Tackler how long you been in NZ? I suppose you go black when they win and Bok’s when they win shitting on the fence hey.
15 Mar 2006, 11:01 am
“Ton say that the bok schedule for this year is hectic is an understatement.”
Last year the AB’s had a full-on British Lions tour, the Tri-Nations and a full UK Grand Slam end-of-season tour.
Now THAT was a hectic schedule. And they only lost one test in the whole year, which hardly mattered as far as winning all the silverware was concerned.
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