Aussie media lash Boks
16 Jul 2006
Australain rugby writer Greg Growden described Jake White’s post-match press conference as embarrassing.
Growden, in the Sydney Morning Herald, writes that no coach can blame a referee when his team has taken 49 points.
“That’s why the churlish behaviour of South African coach Jake White during Saturday night’s press conference was so embarrassing. After presiding over his nation’s biggest Test loss to Australia he virtually blamed it all on New Zealand referee Paul Honiss. I was left wondering whether I was watching an episode of The Twilight Zone as White and his skipper John Smit repeatedly brought up how they had been unfairly treated by Honiss.
“Were they serious, or was it just a diversion to camouflage the glaring fact they are struggling big time and are in charge of a rabble? Forget about reality and that the Boks played like a sixth-grade subbies team, whose only real interest in being there on the day is for the after-match keg.
“That didn’t matter. In the weird world that is South African rugby, despite a procession of tries scored against them, they believed they had been dudded, and it was time to tell a disbelieving world. Without prompting, White started with: “Honiss blew poorly tonight.” And over the next 10 minutes kept turning the focus back to the referee.
“Just as ridiculous was White’s repeated references to the similarities between South Africa’s fate on Saturday night and that of the 1998 England side, which was smacked 76-0 by Australia. White argued that South Africa, when their tribe of injured players return, will bounce back after adversity like England and be a threat in the World Cup.
“One big difference, Jake. It took England five years after that match to win a World Cup – not the year-and-a-half that you are hoping for.
“Then again one is accustomed to wacky behaviour at Springboks press conferences. On Friday, we watched them go into denial when White basically called one of his players – Joe van Niekerk – a liar. As unconvincing was White trying to deny a story that a few years ago the Springboks players had a competition that rewarded the player who was able to pluck one of Wallaby George Smith’s dreadlocks with $100.
“While numerous South African players have admitted the story is right, and van Niekerk explained it all in the Cape Argus, as far as White was concerned it was “made up”. Yeah, right. Get real, Springboks. As the old saying goes – you may look like a fool. But you don’t like being treated like a fool.”
36 Comments
16 Jul 2006, 20:39 pm
Eerste!
16 Jul 2006, 20:40 pm
I tell you, when things are going bad for me I just think myself lucky that I am not JW!
16 Jul 2006, 20:49 pm
This is so surreal – how does a team that challenges the 6nations chmaps (if not winning), become so dreadful overnight? I cant help but think that this whole thing is an orchestrated political move, and that Jake is trying to tell the Presidents Council something. The sad thing is that any Bok supporters in Australia, who paid to see that ****, will never do so again, just like I will never pay R300 a ticket again for my missus and I to go and watch the Boks getting hammered by 50-5 (or close) at Loftus.
I am afraid that I cant support a team that has so little respect for its fans that they will purposefully try and play badly, or without pride…
Jake, even if it was political, you have lost my respect, and you can fe3ck off now for all I care. I would rather watch a badly coached Bok team lose while trying as hard as they can, than a talented team playing with no pride for what they do.
16 Jul 2006, 20:50 pm
Jeez, how does one argue with him. White is indeed an embarrassment.
So, who still thinks he should have his contract extended?
16 Jul 2006, 20:53 pm
wicked, pretty much my feelings too. Though I’ll still support the team, just not the coach.
16 Jul 2006, 21:13 pm
http://www...
it hasn’t happened overnight. it’s been a while coming. jake papered the cracks with wins against scotland and spun the performances against the w15 and France.
a rugby adoring public have given him the benefit of the doubt. but he then insulted supporters saying we know zip…
so he blames the supporters, the ref, just about anything and everything except his poor selections and no-plan game plan…
16 Jul 2006, 21:16 pm
Jakes claim that if he didn’t get his extension it would result in an exodus of Boks after the WC should have rung warning bells.
If he felt that the players loyalty was towards him and not the Bok jersey then he’s been encouraging it.
A dedicated coach would have told the players that if that’s how they felt then they should go now and he shouldn’t even have considered them for the TriNations.
16 Jul 2006, 21:18 pm
MotorMouth White
Time to hit the road!
16 Jul 2006, 21:26 pm
The whole of OZ is laughing at us… this sucks
16 Jul 2006, 21:31 pm
Hy maak net sy naam maar ook ons s’n gat. Dump the fool now!
16 Jul 2006, 21:50 pm
I still say, organize an hour long televised interview with White based on inputs from the rugby puplic.
Smart questions only
Whach the weasel squirm….
16 Jul 2006, 21:51 pm
Whach = watch
16 Jul 2006, 22:05 pm
Swallow you pride Jake. Do the right thing. Pick up the phone and make the necessary calls. They’re waiting for your call – You know who they are!
16 Jul 2006, 22:06 pm
you = your
16 Jul 2006, 23:10 pm
Ja, jy weet ‘n paar van die outjies is beseer en dit gee die geleentheid vir ‘n paar ander nuwe jong outjies om hulle staal te wys en hulle hande op te steek, om te wys hulle is goedgenoeg !!!!
17 Jul 2006, 00:55 am
I have to say that i was one of the many embarassed south africans at the game on saturday night. Just like everyone else i cant understand how a team of so called profesional players can perform so disgustingly as they did!! Besides the lack of obvious skills such as passing and catching and kicking….they made it very obvious for everyone to see how uneducated and stupid they actually are. They were so busy trying to make school boy “i’ll show you” points by playing the man off the ball and over velous cleaning out at the rucks, that they completely forgot about the most basic of things when it comes to rugby…the F*CKING BALL. Why do players like Juan Smith, Joe V Niekerk, Matfield, January and the likes feel they have to prove how tough they are by man handling the opposition off the ball? Do they have a complex or something?? The score board is the best way to prove your critics wrong, and when i walk out of suncorp stadium on saturday night, amongst the chirps and abuse being hurled towards my green springbok supporters jersey…..the score board read Aus 49 SA 0…!! they proved nothing but how stupid and unprofesional south african rugby players are…this my we will never win a world cup again, and why the only time we ever did win a world cup was when rugby was not profesional!!! I love south africa, but find it hard to love my once beloved Boks. This is not what Springbok rugby is all about. I dont mind losing, but lets never give up our pride an passion. Cos lets face it….when you give that up you are left with nothing!!
17 Jul 2006, 01:07 am
Being a dirty “BREKER” is just the South African trademark. SA fans go home after a match and the talk is all about Richard Bands’ big tackle on McCaw, or some other “big hit”, whether legal or illegal. The scoreline is forgotten long before the big hit fades from the national memory.
17 Jul 2006, 01:18 am
dirty “BREKER” ???? are you like 10 years old??
17 Jul 2006, 01:28 am
It’s what you call these swaggering louts, isn’t it? Dirty brekers. People like Bakkies the Biter…
17 Jul 2006, 01:31 am
name calling is for the school play ground Tackler…..lets have an educated discusion, other wise go have a wank!
17 Jul 2006, 02:02 am
boks have become a joke bullies will now make fun of us in the playground
17 Jul 2006, 02:06 am
Ag Jake, hou tog jou ou bek. Die Aussies hier in Korea (en hier is net soveel van hulle soos ons), koggel ons nie eens meer nie, hulle is simpatiek! Hulle voel jammer vir ons!! “Sorry mate, we’ll be rooting for you on Saturday, mate” Kan jy dit nou oorvertel? Dis meer vernederend as die goedige gekoggel waarmee ons mekaar gewoonlik vertoorn.
Nou rek Jake ook nog se bek op so n skewe manier! Man weet nie meer waar om jou kop in te steek nie, dis erger as die AIDS-stats en misdaadsyfer wat in aanloop tot die sokker meer en meer prominensie in die oorsese media geniet. Dan loop ouens soos Breytie en daai ander poephol nog soentjies en smiles uitdeel. Dit is vanoggend op BBC hoofnuus vertoon.
Nee manne, julle maak onse naam gat. Kom by, geen Springbokspan is VYFTIG punte swakker as die Wallabies nie, ek laat my dit nie vertel nie, dis kak.
17 Jul 2006, 03:14 am
Greg Growden is a wanker anyway, that ******* will take any opportunity to pay the living **** out of a team or indivudal at a time of weakness, typical aussie mentality, (im probably being 50% hypocritical)
17 Jul 2006, 03:40 am
Can’t argue with a better argument, boet! 49-0 trumps any grizzle you may have about Growden’s opinions.
As for the people whining about the fact that Paulse and Smit etc walked off the field smiling and not bursting into tears… well, grow up, children! These are grown men and they don’t blubber when things go wrong. They keep a stiff upper lip like every good Rooinek is supposed to do. They aren’t going to go home and kick the cat and beat up their wives and knock back four fingers of neat Klippies.
17 Jul 2006, 03:44 am
Pieterman, if any Australian says to you “we’ll be ROOTING for you next week”, be afraid. Be very afraid.
When any Aussie talks about “rooting” it certainly does NOT mean clapping your hands and shouting hooray!
If I were you, I’d take the wife/girlfriend away to the coast for the weekend as far from those Aussie mates as your petrol allowance will permit!
17 Jul 2006, 04:13 am
Honiss did blow an uneven game for sure, what was the stasts on the penalties SA 16 AUS 6? that should tell us he was lobsided. White needs to go, bring in a Kiwi coach or Rassie for God sakes. And please fly in Luke Watson and fly Spies AKA Naas Botha home!
17 Jul 2006, 05:10 am
The IRB refereeing assessor said that Honiss could have DOUBLED the penalty count against SA as the “rush defence” was offside almost every time. So if you keep on infringing you have only yourself to blame if you keep getting pinged and you don’t catch on to the lessons that whistle should teach you. Only a stupid man makes the same error repeatedly.
A ref doesn’t keep a tally of penalties awarded to each team and tring to “balance” it out. He blows it like he sees it moment by moment, and let the final tally fall where it will.
17 Jul 2006, 05:48 am
when you go down 49-0, i think its time for the coach and the team to be sacked. Disban the boks and get them home. save us the embarrasement. start afresh.
17 Jul 2006, 07:24 am
Can’t blame Growden for what he said as most of it was right. It was pathetic for Jake to blame the ref for the loss. Isnt this what Eddie Moans did all year before they sacked him?
17 Jul 2006, 08:22 am
Growden is a complete wanker, ‘orrible ‘oniss too. Jake needs to accept defeat more graciously but the team are a problem. Other than Fourie, none of the team exactly shone!
17 Jul 2006, 10:21 am
Being witness to Saturday’s embarrassment of riches, I don’t know how Jake white can look himself in the mirror and believe it was the referee’s fault, but I don’t care about off the field bickering, what matters happens between minute 0 and minute 80, or as it translates to 0-49, I wish I can say well done Australia, but it seems they should have done better, maybe 0-60 or so, but hang in there, Jake will give you another crack at the bok’s this season…. Would any of the Springbok guys have the same lackluster attitude if the game was a boxing match facing the world heavyweight champion? I doubt it, I’m sure they would then at least try and think about what to expect in the fight; something the ‘Jake White’ coaching staff are obviously unable to do. While the entire country have been questioning the rush defense and the fact that it has been exploited by most international teams by now it’s obvious that it’s not working. I can only conclude that Jake might actually be a part time rocket scientist, who comes up with bad ideas and then conjures up a multitude of excuses to use when it all goes horribly wrong, or maybe he can make a statement like ‘Some guys put their hands up, and we’ll work from that’. God forbid, should it work, nobody would ever be allowed to forget that, and from there everything he does becomes a ‘don’t you remember’ fight. Your first season was good, but the sequels sucked Jake, get over yourself and move on. You know what, I’m not going to justify myself by pointing out your mistakes any further, they are obvious enough as it is! I just hope you can turn this around, although I’ve been disappointed before, so I won’t hold my breath…At least I still have my Blue Bulls…
17 Jul 2006, 10:31 am
Shifting blame boys, that`s all it is. Jakie and Johnny are both in serious **** and they know it. The only way out, shift the blame.
Sorry, John, it was you who disappeared during the game. It was you who didn`t have a plan B. Honiss did us a favour in my opinion. The cracks are so wide they cannot be covered anymore.
Kitch took over a year before the world cup in 1995. There is enough time, just get rid of the problems soon enough, AS IN IMMEDIATELY!
17 Jul 2006, 10:40 am
Growden’s an abortion on legs but as moronic as he is, he has a point. The Boks have a huge attitude problem if they’re pointing at the ref.
17 Jul 2006, 11:52 am
Growden’s never had a good word to say about SA, he’s an absolute tosser.
White did not blame the referee solely, he said that the ref made some poor decisions, and he is right. White however made it quite clear that the boks were destoyed by the aussies.
17 Jul 2006, 14:36 pm
Growden and White both have something in common… they are both wankers.
17 Jul 2006, 14:57 pm
White is our only hope of ever winning another test… that’s if he takes the job in the UK.
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