ANDY COLQUHOUN, Johannesburg | Friday 7.00pm.
EXCLUSIVE
SACKED Springbok tactcial adviser Jake White is set to land one of the glamour jobs of South African rugby by being appointed coach of the Natal Sharks.
ZA*SPORTS has learnt that White will be interviewed for the job in Durban on Saturday to make him favourite to succeed the retiring Ian McIntosh.
The former Golden Lions under-21 coach has seen his stock soar since he was eased out the Springbok framework in an alleged pwoer struggle with ‘Bok No 2 Alan Solomons at the beginning of the international season.
White was given the consolation of being asked to assist head coach Eric Sauls with the Baby Boks in the SANZAR/UAR championships in Argentina.
The team turned in some superb peformances to lift the trophy for the first time after producing sub-par performances in the first four years of the competition.
Sources close to White confirmed he would be meeting the Natal executive on Saturday and with no clear rival, White could walk into one of the most prestigous jobs in South African rugby.
A week ago former Griquas and Springbok coach Anre Markgraaff turned down the appointment and with Heyneke Meyer – another on the Natal shortlist – set to take over at the Blue Bulls next season the way looks clear for White to have his first taste of coaching at the top level.
It would also mean he would take the regional side into the Super 12 campaign and complete the quartet SARFU would like to announce as early as possible with Solomons staying at the Stormers, Meyer running the Bulls and Kiwi Laurie Mains getting the poisoned chalice of coaching the Cats.
In other decisions….
The executive told the management committee to continue negotiating a two-year contract extension with Nick Mallett.
An announcement on the appointment of the four regional Super 12 coaches will be made at the end of August once Natal have sorted out their coaching vacancy.
Nick Mallett will meet union presidents next Friday to ask them to release their players to him for a World Cup camp starting on September 1, making them unavailable for the Currie Cup semi-finals and final. .
No quotas for the Super 12 but the guidlelines on one black player per starting XV would stay in place.
In future any coach involved with the Springboks would not be permitted to work at provincial level although he would be eligible to coach a Super 12 side. — MWP