Former South African under-21 coach Jake White was named new Springbok coach on Friday following the resignation of Rudolf Straeuli last year, South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) president Brian van Rooyen announced.
White beat off the challenges of seven other candidates, most notably the Bulls’ Rudy Joubert and former Bok Sevens coach Chester Williams.
”I am over the moon about my appointment and I’m a bit surprised that I came through the back door,” said White following the announcement. ”We have got to get the passion back into our rugby,” he added.
White’s contract is until the end of 2005, after which it will either be renewed to include the 2007 Rugby World Cup or terminated.
”This will be a two-year term to December 31, 2005. The recommendation came from a technical committee to look at the coach and was unanimously accepted by both rugby boards, the South Africa Rugby Football Union and SA Rugby,” Van Rooyen said.
White was previously involved with the Springboks as a technical advisor during Nick Mallett’s 17-match unbeaten run in 1997 and 1998.
Andy Capostagno, the Mail & Guardian’s specialist rugby writer, said shortly after the announcement that it have been a ”rare moment” when sanity prevailed over politics.
”In the headlong rush to push the game in this country — lemming-like over the cliff — a pause for thought was crucial in order to install Jake White as the new Springbok coach.
‘When the original shortlist of four was announced by Sarfu President Brian van Rooyen, the paucity of thought that had gone into its construction was plain for all to see. Even when it was expanded to eight names about a month later, it was assumed that Chester Williams would get the job come what may.
‘The selection of White and the non-selection of Williams suggests that the much derided executive committee which was formed to select the coach, has actually done a rather better job than many expected,” said Capostagno.
‘Primarily, they actually took notice of what the candidates had to say and offer at their respective interviews.
”Williams, who will inevitably one day be given the top job, was patently unprepared for the role as early in his coaching career as this, although there have even been rumours that notwithstanding his coaching naivety, he was offered the job as White’s assistant, but turned it down.
‘White, a former teacher of Jeppe High in Johannesburg, is the paradigm of the modern coach, albeit the modern coach from outside South Africa.
‘White never played the game at high level, and even has a stain on his character in that one of his erstwhile pupils was that well known disgrace to a Springbok jersey — James Dalton.
”But his positives far outweigh his negatives. He is a technical analyst of the highest order, able to take raw talent, especially at under-21 level , and turn it into the real thing. He has the ability to make tactics sexy. This is not something that is often associated with coaching at any level in SA, where koppe-stamp rugby becomes the norm whenever any side is under pressure to produce results,” said Capostagno.
‘It can safely be assumed that White’s reign — however long it may last — will not be tainted by useless attempts at team building, such as camp Staaldraad.
”The liberals, if there are any left in this country, will also point to the fact that he is not Afrikaans speaking, but it merely hoped that under White, such pathetic considerations will be shown the door anyway.
”White’s biggest positive will be the fact that a large number of the players likely to play for the Springboks this year will have come up through the ranks of under-21 rugby, which has the been the one area of the game in this country which has not just maintained standards, but improved them. Players such as Ashwyn Willemse and Schalk Burger can expect to become the superstars that their talent deserves rather than be thrown on the scrapheap for some imagined minor failing.”
White has risen up through the South African coaching ranks and has done his time as a coach at the various levels — although he has not coached at Super 12 level — taking South Africa to the Junior World Cup title in 2002.
White boasts extensive and current experience coaching the 15-man game, and he is not tainted by membership of the management that was involved at the World Cup.
His first order of business will be to guide the Springboks through tough early season Tests against Ireland (twice) and Wales. Both the Irish and Welsh have improved immensely and were more impressive than South Africa at the 2003 World Cup.
Following those three home Tests, the All Blacks lie in wait in Christchurch for the opening Tri-Nations match at the end of July.
White is the third Bok coach in as many years, since Nick Mallett was forced to resign in 2001 and the 11th since re-admission in 1992. – Sapa