When the South African under-21 team gathered in Sabi for a week-long getting-to-know-you training camp last month, coach Jake White sat the players down and stared at the group for some time in silence.
When he spoke, his words were not what the team expected: ”I’m a doos. Let’s get that out the way first up,” began White.
”If you think I’m a doos, then feel free to tell me because we do things my way around here. If you don’t like it, you can leave now and we’ll find someone else. I don’t mind if you think I’m a doos and even if you call me a doos, but we will be honest with each other.” Welcome to White’s world.
Suddenly the team realised that making the final 26-man squad to defend the International Rugby Board Under-21 World Cup title had been easy. The hard part would be living up to White’s standards as they compete in this year’s event, which kicks off on June 13 in Oxford, United Kingdom.
White has not lost as coach of the team known simply as the Baby Boks. Winning is everything.
”It doesn’t matter if I do this job for 10 years, I must make sure that we continue to win,” White says. ”My job is to get the youngsters ready for senior rugby. Winning makes it easier for the Springbok coach to select these players.”
The side is overflowing with talent and is led by Schalk Burger, son of the former Springbok lock of the same name. Like his father, he is big and strong, but he also has good pace and ball-winning ability and has made a name for himself on the side of the scrum, rather than in the second row.
The squad contains some experienced players with relatively ”old” heads at this level. Scrumhalves Ricky January and Fourie du Preez have both won praise in the Super 12.
Flyhalf Derrick Hougaard single-handedly won last year’s Currie Cup with a record 26 points in the final, but looks set to start from the bench behind provincial rival Swys Swart.
Swart was the key to the Baby Boks’ success last year, scoring 107 points in five matches, and White will remain loyal to him despite Hougaard’s legion of supporters who feel he should already be playing for the Springboks.
Up front, Bulls number eight Jacques Cronje has a chance to build on his fine Super 12 performance. In the midfield the abrasive Dewey Swartbooi can also push for a place in the Test arena with a strong showing in Oxford.
The Baby Boks face Ireland, Canada and Wales in the group phase. White is
confident that he has made the right selections and has a core of good players who have done it before. Now all he needs is a little luck.