White slams media
12 Jun 2006
It took just one convincing Bok win to get Bok coach Jake White going again. He slammed the media for doom and gloom following the stuttering win against a World XV.
“Look at my record,” White told the media in Port Elizabeth.
Dale Granger, writing in the Argus, described the press conference as lively and wrote that White seized the opportunity to compare his performance as Bok coach with that of South Africa’s overall record.
He also drew comparisons between the weight of unrealistic expectation on his team’s shoulders with that of Brazil at the World Cup.
“Two years ago no one might have said that today we could have had a 70% win record, or would be unbeaten at home with a lot of milestones on our mantlepiece,” said White.
“Ireland, the Triple Crown champions, were first up at home and we achieved a series win when no-one gave us a chance. Then we put 50 points past a supposedly weak Wales side who won the Six Nations a year later. We beat France for the first time at home since 1975 and then Australia at Perth, the first time we had beaten a tier one country away in 20 tests. We also were Tri-Nations champions.
“This team has surpassed all expectations, not only from the public, but also the media. They couldn’t have been lower than they were prior to 12 June 2004 (when White took over after the fiasco of Kamp Staaldraad and the 2003 World Cup).”
In reaction to pockets of booing at Ellis Park during the World XV game, White said: “The public will only over-react to what they read in the media, not the other way around.
“This week everyone’s very happy. We beat an unbelievably good Scottish side and we’re back again. The team is suddenly loved again and everyone’s positive, largely because of what you guys (the media) said. “I’m not saying the public should not get negative if we do not play well. Just that there is an onus on the written media and TV that impacts on the public.”
White said the Boks could not be compared to the Brazilian soccer team.
“I would say the Brazilian soccer side have probably got a 90% win rate in history whereas we have got a 61% win rate. There is this false illusion that we have to win every Test match, but just look at the history books.
“When we beat the All Blacks (in 2004) it was the first time in nine Tests we had done that. Today we have a group of 30 players who have beaten them not once, but twice.
“The media needs to reflect this. Instead, there are very big mood swings depending on whether we win, lose or play below par. I’m not blaming anybody, just reiterating how things are while fully aware of the pressure of playing for or coaching South Africa.
“Expectations are there as a nation, but in the last two years we have surpassed anything that was expected of us.”
*For the record Jake: Brazil’s win record is hardly 90 percent. It is considerably less.
641 Comments
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12 Jun 2006, 19:28 pm
chch, the UK Sunday Sport is every teenagers dream. charged up, but too young to buy porn, so you buy the SUnday sport instead
12 Jun 2006, 19:28 pm
Hmmm, again, you are too quick!
12 Jun 2006, 19:29 pm
Ah, Vinnie.
You have been de-throned in your absence….
12 Jun 2006, 19:29 pm
595 Yes in Philippines … and yes support free press
12 Jun 2006, 19:30 pm
Wolf,
To quick, but yet on time…..
12 Jun 2006, 19:30 pm
what you doing in the philipinnes? Hmmm, i think Vinnie is well and truly your *****
12 Jun 2006, 19:33 pm
wolfman…how has the internet not killed the Sunday Sport. You can go to http://www.thesilverfern.co.nz and get sport with a swimsuit link (if you are keen on swimming).
12 Jun 2006, 19:34 pm
I got sick of living in a 3rd world country so I moved here.
12 Jun 2006, 19:34 pm
internet has killed the sunday sport, but i was 14 years old before the internet was big! plus parents can be sneaky, and block things!
12 Jun 2006, 19:35 pm
Swimsuit…..ah that just spoils everything…..
12 Jun 2006, 19:36 pm
seriously? youd rather live in the philipines?
that is interesting
12 Jun 2006, 19:37 pm
Hmmmm, the imagination is a powerful tool
12 Jun 2006, 19:37 pm
I work here. Life is good. You can go to a pub and watch rugby where everyone is a rugby fan. Try to do that in Sydney
12 Jun 2006, 19:38 pm
is that the girl that streaked, and is now selling her bikini?
12 Jun 2006, 19:39 pm
They also host the not so famous Manila 10s. Teams come from around the world.
12 Jun 2006, 19:41 pm
i have heard of the manila tens
12 Jun 2006, 19:41 pm
if you can get $20,000 for a handbag then on paper it looks like a good idea
12 Jun 2006, 19:42 pm
wolf, sight is more powerful…..
12 Jun 2006, 19:42 pm
really…. I had not before coming here
12 Jun 2006, 19:44 pm
I had not before reading it here….
12 Jun 2006, 19:45 pm
12 Jun 2006, 19:46 pm
I think we lost wolfman in the bikini pages
12 Jun 2006, 19:47 pm
site, imagination, and touch, that rocks
12 Jun 2006, 19:47 pm
It seems so…..
12 Jun 2006, 19:50 pm
sight and touch…..yeh
Imagination is for the can’t-have’s…..
12 Jun 2006, 19:52 pm
everyone has dry spells!
12 Jun 2006, 19:53 pm
What, the liquid up….??
12 Jun 2006, 19:54 pm
im lost
12 Jun 2006, 19:58 pm
sleepy time
night y’all
12 Jun 2006, 20:06 pm
Post ya later…..
12 Jun 2006, 20:35 pm
Haven’t won against the French since 1975 – WTF???????
No matter how you look at it Jake, you have only had a single away victory against a tier one country in two years – 2 away losses to the AB’s; an away loss to the Aussies, Irish, English and French – that’s 1 out of 7 away (about 15% away record against decent opposition).
Nothing to be screaming and shouting about yet! WC isn’t in SA next year …
12 Jun 2006, 21:50 pm
Bad heading Keo – read what the article says…….
13 Jun 2006, 00:26 am
Raising the standard bar is one thing. Failing to recognise that the previous standard bar has not only been met but utterly trashed is quite another. Even worse is the immediate upping of the bar and a continious criticism of the coach because he dares not reach the utter perfection that some fans dream about.
Jake is right about how some people mindlessly follow media drivel.
13 Jun 2006, 03:03 am
There was a time when the Boks had a ledger showing more test wins than defeats against every other nation, even including the All Blacks. It was the only nation on earth with such a balance.
Now NZ is that only nation to have a positive win ratio against everyone else.
The Boks, ignoring all the past fiascos and confining ourselves only to the period under JW, still don’t have a positive win ratio against the All Blacks. Against NZ, Jake hasn’t clawed back even one test of the ledger’s historical deficit he inherited since he started.
He’s no superman.
13 Jun 2006, 04:44 am
Yeah,yeah,yeah…61%win ratio,look at my record,ok!But with winning comes expectations,thats the name of game in sport.There needs to be a movement towards always getting better and at the momoent the message being sent out by White is one of consolidation rather than improvement.
The boks have gotten most of their ducks in a row and largerly thanks to Jake but we can and should still improve.We all thank u Jake for bringing back the pride in bok rugby but it can get a little bit much when you are rubbing it in our faces everytime a comment is passed about the boks.
Our back play is still lagging behind while our depth as much as you would have us believe is not impressive as shown in World xv match.That why it seems not to make a lot of sense to many if players such as Watson,Brits,Ackerman,Ndungane twins are left in the cold.
Stop being so defensive Jake and start being objective.But otherwise he is still doing a good job.HAMBANI MABHOKOBHOKO!Sizo nqoba!(go boks,we’ll conquer all!)
13 Jun 2006, 05:36 am
Just want to say, Ackermann is injured. Destroyed his calf muscle, thats why he isn’t there.
13 Jun 2006, 08:39 am
I’m of the opinion that Jake White needs to concentrate more on rugby then on the rugby media itself.
The time he spent in preparing for the press release he could have done something more constructive or worthwhile.
If he wants to silence his critics he must surely realize it is to silence them on the field and not off the field.
Certain statements made by Jake w.r.t his selection policies lacks of people skills. He needs to remember that every statement he makes can have a detrimental effect on a player’s rugby career.
Furthermore, to come out and lambaste the media for being critical of him is totally uncalled for.
The media is fulfilling their duty in highlighting grey areas in his Bok team and by rightly criticizing him for it.
The fact that Jake’s team played remarkable this past weekend doesn’t give him the right now to rebuke the media for what happened the previous weekend.
Of course had the media criticize him or the Bok team for their performance this past weekend he could have felt being hard done by them. The fact is the media gave him heaps of praise. Now he’s throwing it back into their faces. The point is the rugby media will give credit where it’s due and will rightly criticize him when his team is not performing.
When the Boks play dismally against the World XV Jake White came out saying that a win is a win. That to me was beside the point. It was a friendly – and not a test match. It was a perfect opportunity for him to throw caution to the wind and played adventurous rugby.
Furthermore he insults the rugby fan by implying that the media dictates as to what we should think. We, Mr White, can make our own informed decisions. We after all watch the games.
I’m of the firm opinion that Jake needs to stop being do defensive. He needs to concentrate more on events on the field than off the field.
Jake is a very good coach and I believe that he will continue to do good for SA Rugby.
13 Jun 2006, 09:45 am
Jake is such a spin doctor. The only notable acheivement he has is his Tri Nations win!
That was excellent stuff. As for beating Wales, Ireland, etc at home even Rudolf Straulli could have done that.
The Boks simply cannot play away, as evidenced by our losses to France and Ireland.
13 Jun 2006, 11:20 am
Jake is right and a lot of the guys on this site can listen up too – always being negative and insulting, everyone thinks they are an expert…
13 Jun 2006, 11:26 am
You see Viper6 you are my case in point. We actually lost to Scotland at home (while it isn’t Wales or Ireland as in your example it is the same level) in 2002 at Murrayfield, and guess who the coach was? Straeuli!
So you are ignorant and an idiot. If swearing was ok on this site I would say a lot more.
13 Jun 2006, 18:13 pm
Its all about energy, whether we generate positively charged expanding energies to enable successful realities, or negatively charged contracting energies which make success difficult and less likely. Mark, this article generates negatively charged contracting energies that harm the Springbok cause. And Simon’s comment increases this. Among the forefront of the rugby media, you both hold powerful positions as generators and conductors of energies. Our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes create energies, positively or negatively charged. The Springboks and South African rugby need you to generate positive, expansive energies particularly when mistakes are made.
All the best to you,
Sam
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