Why White must stay
17 Jul 2006
Firing Jake White now would be adding to the crisis and not the solution. White has to stay as Bok coach, but he also has to embrace some radical change.
At the beginning of the year White boldly declared he had pretty much picked his World Cup squad. It was crazy talk and as much was said at the time. White was reminded that there was not just one Super 14, Tri Nations and end of year tour still to come. There was in fact two Super 14s, two Tri Nations, two Currie Cups and one end of year tour. That’s a whole lot of rugby.
Within six months of making that statement, more than half of White’s World Cup certainties are either crocked, out of form or six months too old for test rugby. Never underestimate the magnetic appeal of youth and also don’t make the mistake of interpreting being too old for test rugby as something that is measured from a date of birth certificate.
White made mistakes in not resting his established stars for last year’s end of season tour. He stuck with the same old same old to play the Pumas, Wales and then France. It was a missed opportunity. So too was the warm-up match against the World XV and the two-test home series against an ordinary Scottish team that talked a game far greater than their natural talents allowed them to play.
There has not been a succession plan since the 2004 Tri Nations was won on league bonus points. There has only been a false dawn and White has been his own worst enemy.
But that does not make him a bad coach or mean he has no role to play. All the negatives of the last year have to be counter-balanced with what White has achieved since 2004. When put on the scale, it tips in White’s favour.
The Bok coach deserves the support of an administration that is willing him to fail ever since he held a gun to their heads, but then did not have the conviction to pull the trigger. As such he is now the one with the gun to his head. White played dangerous games and lost. But the administration must be bigger than the mind games and they must look to the well-being of Bok rugby.
White must put behind him all the contradictions and all the fearless talk of the last year, when his ego loomed larger than even Bono’s.
There’s a great little joke that asks what the difference is between God and Bono? The answer: “God doesn’t strut around Dublin believing he is Bono.’
The same could be said of White in the last six months. He did not allow for his views to be challenged. He did not believe they could be challenged. He had all the answers. At least that’s what he thought.
White’s world, in Cape Town and in Brisbane, has been crushed. There was not a bubble to prick. His was more a planet that imploded.
But he survives and the gamekeepers of rugby in South Africa need to restore life to White. They need to revive the 2004 version that arrived loaded with ideas, innovation and humility. The guy who said he would coach the Boks for free and not the guy who a month ago wanted financial security until the end of 2009.
The squad has to change. Too many players in White’s line-up are not good enough. The support staff also has to change. Too few provide an alternative to White. And the Boks need to invest in a team manager, worthy of the description, and a full-time defence coach, whose presence is constant and not an event.
It is no coincidence that when Gary Gold worked for five successive weeks with the Boks in 2004, they were precise in their execution of the rush defence. They all understood it. They all believed in the system and with Gold hands on in the education thereof, White could watch from a distance with the necessary clarity.
Then White took charge of the backs, the defence and the technical analysis. His vision became blurred. He favoured players, refused to see their faults and backed them despite the obvious limitations. He was too close to make the call and made none, preferring to preach the gospel of his chosen few, while immaturely trashing the claims of those outside of the inner circle.
It also helped that he had a saint in Schalk Burger who guided his every move.
Burger is gone, at least for six months, and White must rethink strategy and selection. Clearly his fellow selectors carry paperbags as influence. There is no substance to the selection panel, otherwise how do you explain the continued omission of Schalk Brits, Luke Watson, Ruan Pienaar and Brad Barritt, among others.
You don’t.
But no one challenged that.
White, the slate wiped clean after Brisbane and the away leg of the Tri Nations, needs to do the same thing when it comes to players. He needs to forget the trash talk against those players he prejudged on hearsay and hairstyles and he needs to embrace the leaders and strong characters who will make him successful once again.
White was often quoted as saying that he (alone) would not win South Africa the World Cup. What he did not add was that he (alone) could lose South Africa the World Cup.
White needs a new team, more than South Africa needs a new coach.
If he is not capable of putting together that team, then SARU’s President’s Council needs to give him two selectors with balls big enough to make the calls that will win us games.
487 Comments
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18 Jul 2006, 18:23 pm
Nee man Vinnie….you stirring right….
Hey, that’s my game to stir persistently….
18 Jul 2006, 18:24 pm
vinnie, i take it attie and aplon are WP players, get your mind out of the squires and look at the bigger picture.
18 Jul 2006, 18:24 pm
cab,
Okay I’ll tell you what – we can start blooding a replacement for Os now or do it in 12 months time. Which is more wise?
18 Jul 2006, 18:24 pm
Ja and wessel roux is a bull.
18 Jul 2006, 18:25 pm
rapid_work,
mat rogers currently weighs 85 kg. That is after he put on weight when he came to union form league.
18 Jul 2006, 18:25 pm
Vinnie – that’s what you can use the 20 minutes replacement time for Os – to blood a new player
18 Jul 2006, 18:25 pm
well if you were in the shoes of JW to try and win every test match you presented with. 2 losses and we’re calling for his head, any more experiments like Spies and Akona could be detrimental.
18 Jul 2006, 18:28 pm
okay cab.
Exactly why I want Jake to leave. So that somebody new can come in and experiment a bit.
And rpaid_work, moving Jon Smit to loosehead as happened last isnt blooding anybody.
Maybe you can tell me who Jake was blooding in all those 20 minute periods last year?
18 Jul 2006, 18:29 pm
And as I said Vinnie, all of them are much heavier than Aplon….Aplon weighs 70, none of those you mentioned weigh less than 80 something…..and all of those had much more pace than Aplon has……the WP 12 and 13 of Saturday are quicker than Aplon….
I will admit that Zahier is exceptionally fast though…really fast….
18 Jul 2006, 18:29 pm
“I would put the C on a Block
That if you asked the AB front row who would they rather play against
Os or Wessel Roux/Attie Winter
Os is our 1 and CJ or BJ should be at 3, simple. ”
Comment by rapid_work : July 18, 2006 @ 6:22 pm
Actually I think they’d laugh at you either way.
18 Jul 2006, 18:31 pm
The experiment is:
1. Os 2. Brits 3.CJ/BJ
4. Bakkies 5. Mueler
6. Watson 7. Smith 8. Van Niekerk
9. Pienaar 10. Butch/JdV
12. Fourie 13. Olivier
11. Habana 14. Spies 15. JP
18 Jul 2006, 18:32 pm
Vinnie 455,
Which is 15 kg heavier than Aplon…there is no way such a puny guy can put on even 10 kg and maintain his current attributes…..
18 Jul 2006, 18:32 pm
My point is Hmmm that there is plenty talent waiting in the wings so why should we now try and play Jaco at fullback, when that is not his favoured position per Jake White?
Cut your losses on JAco and bring in somebody new that is still hungry, can actually catch a ball and will be around 5 years from now.
Same goes for Os. What do we do if he breaks a month before the WC? And the way its going now that not very unlikely.
18 Jul 2006, 18:34 pm
Hmmmmm – care to back your facts up on Aplons pace?
I am pretty certain he is quicker than both Uys and Potgieter….
Rylands stands alone
18 Jul 2006, 18:34 pm
Vinnie 463…..
Go read that mail and 2 thereafter where I reiterated……
With the players there (at Jakes disposal), the side for Saturday’s match should be……………………………………………………………………………………
Nee man Vinnie……you have a long day or something…..
18 Jul 2006, 18:34 pm
EA and CJ can cover for LH, its TH where you really need a specialist scrummer. Since Visagie’s not there CJ or BJ are only only worldclass options.
EA and Sephaka can cover LH, Steenkamp who is better than both is recovering from injury, but Os is still no 1 and excels even when we get pumped, which is a mark of his character.
18 Jul 2006, 18:36 pm
rapid_work
Dont stress about our no10 – Butch/Meyer will probaly play their biggest game of their careers on Saturday and both will go out and prove to everyone who should wear the no10 jumper. I trust Meyer Bosman a lot more than VD Westhuyzen and Butch James will know its NOW or NEVER !!!
vinnie
Fourie du Preez & Ruan Pienaar is our best no9`s but Pienaar is not in the squad – so we will all stick with du Preez!! And how can you question Bryan Habana?? 15games;13tries and 2 bad games because he didnt score any tries??? Bryan`s the best – he just didnt get any ball – cause the ball didnt even reach Jaque Fourie!!???
18 Jul 2006, 18:36 pm
cab,
Would bring paulse in for habana. Or maybe russel.
And pienaar in for du preez.
And juan smith wouldnt peel my tomatoes in a gimp suit until he starts playing properly.
Surely olivier plays inside and fourie outside?
Olivier seems a bit of a donkey to play outside.
18 Jul 2006, 18:37 pm
A friend (whose name I cannot mention) told me the 40 meter sprints of the wp players.
Aplon is explosive of the first 10 but nothing special even over 40 meters…..
18 Jul 2006, 18:38 pm
Vinnie, agree with you 468….Olivier 12 and Fourie 13…….
18 Jul 2006, 18:39 pm
Player Meyer at 12….He’s a fairly large dude, can kick reasonably well out of hand, he kicks at goal. Also take a bit of pressure off Butch in his first game of rugby in a long while. Wynand hasn’t impressed me, not alot of boks have.
18 Jul 2006, 18:41 pm
Probable Springbok team – 15-Percy Montgomery, 14-Breyton Paulse, 13-Jaque Fourie, 12-Wynand Olivier, 11-Bryan Habana, 10-Butch James, 9-Fourie du Preez, 8-Jacques Cronje, 7-Juan Smith, 6-Solly Tyibilika, 5-Victor Matfield, 4-Albert van den Berg, 3-CJ van der Linde, 2-John Smit (captain), 1-Os du Randt. Reserves – 16-Danie Coetzee, 17-Eddie Andrews, 18-Johann Muller, 19-Joe van Niekerk, 20-Enrico Januarie, 21-Meyer Bosman, 22-Brent Russell.
18 Jul 2006, 18:41 pm
Good point in 471 Ig…..Olivier did defend well though, even better than what JdV has in my opinion (did not check the stats on that though)…..
18 Jul 2006, 18:42 pm
nah, your argument was we needed to blood certain players and expeirment, you cant be brining in old-man Paulse, willy nilly.
I say have one speedster in Habana and one big unit like Spies who’s still quick but can stand up to the big asutrlasian outside backs like Tuquiri and Rok.
Our inside channel was penetrated repeatedly, Butch and Fourie should seal that off permanently. Both also run straight and its one of the reasons why our backline always gets no where, i.e. drifting sideways rather than hitting the ball with pace, straight.
Olivier is quick and very nimble and will revel in a bit more space at outside, fourie played flyahlf at school and distributes better, we also need him to straighten the line and shore up our midfield. while you may not have liked Barry, there is no way Larkhak and Giteau would have done that to us on saturday.
Juan Smith has been one of the consistently best performers for the boks, not initally one of my favourites in terms of skill level, but his commitment and workrate is not far behind Burger. need more of this type of grafter.
18 Jul 2006, 18:44 pm
Blou_bok,
Didnt know we were limited to squad players.
As cab used watson and de vill i assumed it was open season.
As for habana I find him fairly over-rated.
His defence is simply shocking and he is, quick frankly, a bit of a Forest.
The rush defence made Habana as it presented him with ample interception opportunities.
If you’re so quick to pull up stats tell me how many of his 13 tries were from good work and how many were simply interceptions.
Ig, Hmmm makes some ludikrous claims to rile us WP boys. They have very little basis at times…
Ne Hmmm
18 Jul 2006, 19:02 pm
vinnie
sorry dude, didnt mean it in that way – im not here to start a argument just making my point!?
but still believe that habana and du preez is our top players. cant blame habana for a couple of bad games. fourie du preez prevented 3 tries on his own, gotta give them some credit??
18 Jul 2006, 19:24 pm
Could somebody in a few words tell me a little about Peter Jooste’s background, his CV in short. I can not find any usefull info on the internet. Thanks.
18 Jul 2006, 19:35 pm
madasaScot,
he was apparently a very good lock, according to cfb, I think.
He also invented paperclips, sandals and elephants.
18 Jul 2006, 20:50 pm
jake must stay
18 Jul 2006, 21:20 pm
Vinnie , wings hardly score from good work…they are supreme opportunists, and Habana is all of that! He is relying on a pipe that carries no water mate.
18 Jul 2006, 22:01 pm
Couch Rugga,
As long as that is not a pipe from Swaziland or the Transkei ne. No seriously, I like Habana, but he needs to look for more work. Get involved, get his hands dirty. We need more intuition in our whole backline. Lateral thinking and a sense of anticipation. Positive thoughts and self belief create tasty circumstances on which to act. I still wish we had a fullback that joined the line more at lightning pace to create havoc. I don’t want to bash Percy but when you see what Latham and Leon MacDonald offer it does make you understand why we don’t score tries. I think of Johan Heunis and Andre Jubba and say…eish, if only.
18 Jul 2006, 22:28 pm
Nobody has said anything about playing “Januarie” on that field on Saturday ?
I saw wild passes, suicide passes and very little defending. When FdP came on, it was like we suddenly had some tackling/catching “in die kassie”..( flyhalf talk for WP supporters ).. and based on the Super 12, FDP should not have been in the team. Jake was complaining that our Super 12 team structures are not right but he ignores the players that do well in the Super 12.
Why not appoint a proper PRESS correspondent for Jake because everything he says to the press, does not make rugby sense. One moment, it’s the REF., then it’s the Super 12 and players playing out of position etc.
I like Butch but to just throw him in as he steps of the plane is like picking Pretorius when he could not even jogg. Same “jerky” reactions with no overall direction/plan. Yes, Bosman has to go to inside center. It’s the only way White is going to “Safe Face” with this guy and it’s obvious that on the slower/wet fields , you need a flyhalf and inside center that can tackle and fight for the ball on the ground.
Nobody has even mention the fact that our two props OS/CJ where struggling. Scrums where collapsing, they tripped over their own feet etc.
Not sure what the “master plan” is with our front row but it did not work on the score board.
Enough said !!
18 Jul 2006, 23:37 pm
PakkieInArizona….how the hell is AZ?
19 Jul 2006, 02:22 am
Right manne,ons het nou almal stoom afgeblaas en ek glo ou Jake,Jooste&Vennote het die boodskap gery; help tog nie ons bly skop n ou wat plat is nie. Ek het n goeie gevoel oor Saterdag. Ek dink dit gaan n ‘close game’ wees…..wie weet ons mag dalk net wen!!! Die vaste vyf moet net styfstaan,dan het ons n kans.
En Pissant(207), wat is dit met jou ge-”Maak die Bulle almal Bokke.” Jy moet pasop, speel die Bokke weer so kak, maak ons hulle dalk almal Bulle!!!
Goeie spankeuse Griekwa (333), wat van Leon Schuster as spesiale adviseur of soiets.Die man het visie (verwys na sy ‘Sambokkas’ in “Sour and Sweet”).
Ons maak reg vir Saterdag, komaan die Groen en Goud, dis opstaantyd………BIG TIME!!!!
19 Jul 2006, 04:15 am
Arizona :
Bliksems warm… 110F ( F vir Flippen watm) elke dag
en reen is iets wat jy hier in die movies sien.
Maar darem nie so warm as JAke se posisie na die vertoning teen die Franse en die Wallabies nie.
Ek kyk die wedstryde op KuduKlub en kan sekere “Gebeuretnisse” meer as een maal kyk.
Kom ons hoop ons maak die AB’s skrik Saterdag instede van waar hulle al hulle reserwes gebruik na 20 minute van die wedstryd.
PakkieInArizona
19 Jul 2006, 05:31 am
SOUTH AFRICA: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James/Meyer Bosman, 9 Fourie du Preez; 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Solly Tyibilika, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Os du Randt. Reserves: 16 Danie Coetzee, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Enrico Januarie, 21 James/Bosman, 22 Breyton Paulse/JP Pietersen.
19 Jul 2006, 07:13 am
Everyone os looking to Jake for answers to the whack we got ont he weekend, but so far few have made mention of John Smit and his ability to bring the best out of the players he leads. He is starting to look more and more like Michelin Man with all the muscle but his performance has been slow and without any committment. One thing that is becoming apparent is that leading the U21 team to victory is a far cry from bringing the best out of players at test level. We won the world cup in 1995 not because we were the best team, but because the guys stood together and they played to a common well understood game plan. The current squad does not give me that sort of feeling.
I cannot understand why Jake continues to persevere with Monty,Jaco and Os despite their service to our team. Even with injuries we have a number of young players that are really coming through, and if we are going to lose, rather lose with a team that can grow into the team for next year’s world cup. I certainly hope that Jake is not going to push to have these three oldies in the team for next year as well.
The guys back home and warming the bench certainly need to be given some exposure now, with the likes of Ruan Pienaar, Chillyboy, Jacque Botes, Pietersen to name but a few will be full of enthusiasm and generate some fire among the existing players.
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