Why Jake’s jolly
19 Apr 2006
Jake White is not suicidal after round 10 of the Vodacom Super 14. And he does not share Graham Henry’s sentiments that the standard of the tournament has suffered because of the inclusion of two franchises.
Speaking to Keo.co.za, White said it was a South African weakness to always sell our teams short and to focus entirely on the negative. He said there was plenty to encourage him in the first 10 rounds, especially the performance of the Sharks and the Cheetahs.
“The Sharks have won four from their nine matches and with a bit of luck they could have beaten the Crusaders and Brumbies away from home. They’ve played good rugby and they have had some very good results. At the start of the season there were predictions they would not win a game. Their form has to be a positive. The Cheetahs are the new boys to the competition, but they scored a fantastic win against the Hurricanes and have also won four matches. They have struggled in the last two matches on tour, but for a first up effort they’ve done very well and they’ll do even better once they get home.
“No one is denying the Cats and Stormers have been poor, but the Bulls have been competitive and with a bit of luck the four wins could have been eight wins. They lost to the Brumbies in the last minute, lost to the Canes in the last minute and were a conversion kick from beating the Reds in Brisbane. They also got a draw in Hamilton. You’ve got to keep some perspective. The line between success and failure in this tournament is a point, a missed kick or a charge down. There are five teams in the pack chasing the Brumbies and two of those teams are South African.
“There weren’t many who were predicting two SA teams would be in the hunt with four rounds to play. It isn’t all bad news.”
White said the Cheetahs had shown themselves worthy of a place in the competition and that the Force were not as bad as their league position suggests.
“Again you go and analyse the Force’sr performances and there has been some very good matches. Their defeat on Saturday was their worst this season and I’ve seen plenty of the established sides take 50 points in this competition. Go and see what the Crusaders did in 1996. Who back then would have backed them to win five titles, play in seven finals and have an 80 percent win record?
“I see Graham being quoted about the decline in standard, but it is not the way I see it. The Crusaders, Canes, Waratahs and Brumbies have played as well as they’ve ever played in Super 12, the Bulls have been as effective as last year but the rub of the green has not favoured them and the Sharks have started to produce quality games. I think the rugby has been good, but there has to be an appreciation for the improvement in defences and the improvement of teams all-round.”
When asked how he would rate his Boks’ performances, White said team circumstance dictated form and that some had delivered more consistency than others.
“I go back to what I said this time last year when everyone was questioning whether I was going to pick half my Bok squad. I know what I have got and I know they are the best players in the country. The same players who looked out of form in last year’s Super 12, combined to beat the All Blacks in Cape Town a few months later. I know where the backbone of my Bok team is and nothing has changed in my thinking. I also know that Schalk Burger would be more imposing if he operated behind the Bulls tight five or that Jean de Villiers may be more effective outside of Tony Brown and with his team playing good attacking rugby. These are all things you factor in.
“The thing I am the most depressed about is the injury situation. I have lost Gurthro Steenkamp and Ashwin Willemse for the season. They would be definites in my squad and it is a huge blow. Ashwin’s was particulary painful when you consider how hard he has worked to get back. He looked superb against the Sharks and it was cruel that his season was ended with another knee injury,” said White, who this season will pick a Bok squad of 45 to prepare for the first three test matches.
70 Comments
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19 Apr 2006, 11:03 am
Stucky (#48), if anything I say makes perfect sense it is because it is precisely the diametrical opposite of what SARU will actually do.
Of course it makes sense to go back to a Super 10! All the endless yakkity yak about long travel and player burnout etc etc.
And SA’s fairly limited player strength all compressed into only three teams instead of diluted across five…
It’s all just too sensible!
19 Apr 2006, 11:13 am
i think the selectors will play it safe with the bok side and take the usual players and then some form players like BJ and pieterson just in case the ‘usuals’ fail.
19 Apr 2006, 11:23 am
Tackler, reason your suggestion will NEVER happen is simple. MONEY !! The unions make more money of TV rights and gates – for 200 games than for 100. Lost advertising revenue etc will ensure that in a couple of years time we will have a Super 20.
dont even consider using the quality vs quantity argument – doesnt apply at all.
19 Apr 2006, 11:33 am
Well, that “Super 20″ will no doubt consist of the top 14 New Zealand and Australian sides and six miserable cellar-dwellers selected on ever stiffer race-quotas from the good old Republic, hey?
19 Apr 2006, 11:41 am
scoob,
yip also really do hope JW swallows his pride and includes a decent TH like BJ in the squad, especially with CJ in the kak.
19 Apr 2006, 11:57 am
The situation isn’t that bad for the springboks as what the S14 would indicate.
All a team really needs in one bad apple and the whole team is up to ****. A bad no 10 for stormers mean JDV never get a qualtiy ball so he goes down the drain. The guy next to jdv then gets jdv’s **** and some more. At the end the wing will perhaps receive the bal on the side line and 15 really pissed-off blackies trying to re-arrange his ribs. But put a decent No 10 in the mix and JDv has a bit more space and bob’s your uncle. the whoel line can move more freely.
Same in the front. one bad player in th etight five and your scrum will suffer. You can have Os there a his best, but if the Lock behind him is up to **** Os means nothing.
SO take Os and Put Bakkies behind him. I don;t want to be the the prop that has to contend with them. So 5 teams are really up to **** but 15 best players are quite something else.
I would like to think that the stormers would have bene much better of with a decent flyhalf and fullback. two players, but what a difference they would have made.
19 Apr 2006, 12:12 pm
ha ha Rommel, aint that the truth, faced with Os and Bakkies, not the most appetising prospect for any team.
19 Apr 2006, 12:19 pm
yeah well he should be jolly as his ENTRENCHED QUAD of PLAYERS must still start the season and start playing…they would be well rested come end of MAY
19 Apr 2006, 12:20 pm
Sounds about right Tackler. Except of course for the all conquering Cheetahs….
19 Apr 2006, 12:45 pm
Rommel
You are right bud, combinations are so important. i recon youve hit the nail on the head. lets not forget experience with inexperience, something i think the sharks have benefited from.
19 Apr 2006, 13:04 pm
Given the pathetic excuses for rugby players Jake has to work with, one can only assume he’s a bit of a voodoo man, as well as a rugby coach. Is he close friends with any shamans or witch doctors? Where does he get that magic from?
despite the fickle, excessively demanding nature of SA rugby fans, it must be admitted that Jake’s bok have overperformed, and I believe will continue to do so.
When whoever wants rid of him gets their way, we will see the boks enter a slump indicative of the one we found ourselves in post Nick
Mallett. Of this I am convinced. If it were’nt for Jake I’d have stopped watching rugby. Straueli nearly forced me to stop!
19 Apr 2006, 13:26 pm
Reading Jake’s comments:
“I know what I have got and i know they are the best players in the country. the same players who looked out of form in last yyear’s Super 12…”. Expect DvB, Joubert, Andrews and Joe to feature in the starting 15.
“Schalk Burger could be more imposing ..” Schalks in.
“JdV may be more effective ..” – he’s in.
So expect 6 Stormers in the starting ine-up. probably more.
JW is already starting with excuses for his selection and most probable failures.
Wonder if the other 9 or less will be able to fill in for the ‘certains’ poor play?
19 Apr 2006, 13:30 pm
The last time we had no teams in the Super Tournament semi final was 1998
A good omen perhaps?
19 Apr 2006, 14:23 pm
OCO – you’ve got 3 stormers centres starting there boet. Do you think perhaps you’re a little paranoid and losing perspective?
Of the 6 you name, I reckon 3 have somethingg to offer the boks. Big Joe, Schalk and JDV.
19 Apr 2006, 14:45 pm
OCO – why dont the other out of form boks get a mention from you, and only the stormers do? Me thinks you are bitterly biassed. No idea why. Who do you support?
Habana, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Cronje, Bakkies and Gary Botha have been shadows of themselves this season. Wayne Julies reputation has gone backwards, and Pretorius is only just returning from injury, whilst Jantjes has not carried his good currie cup form into the S14. Monty looks past it, and Os rarely has an impact these days. And its too early to tell what Jaco’s form is like either.
What say thee?
19 Apr 2006, 15:46 pm
Ek wag nou-al maande vir my ADSL by telkom. He teen v julle nie ‘n kontak nie – of is daar iets beters? In Pretoria
19 Apr 2006, 15:50 pm
Staal Telkom is n monopolie.In NZ betaal jy nie vir plaaslike oproepe tussen landlyne nie maar hier in SA word ons gerook.Op Carte Blanche gesien as n moer groot file download vat dit jou 7 dae in SA.Kos ook so R10 000.Vlieg Hong Kong toe gaan na n interner kafe en download die selle goed in 15 minute.Vlieg terug en jy spaar so R2000 met jou vliegtuigkaartjie ingesluit.
19 Apr 2006, 16:45 pm
Spot-on seamus(50), but don’t forget, he’s brought back Snyman as well. Is it to fill in on the wings or is it to keep Jdv and Fourie on their toes and maybe impart some wisdom? But we do need Butch back, does anybody have an update on his rehab?
19 Apr 2006, 17:12 pm
ja jake kan smile want bulle nog bo … hulle speel so sleg en hulle is 5de. Nou gaan bulle peak
19 Apr 2006, 17:15 pm
Agree with TheTackler about a return to S10. It’s weird how much his writing style resembles Keo’s some times.
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