Springbok coach Jake White on Tuesday declared that it would not be a train smash if his team left for their four-match European tour on Saturday without a manager.
The Springboks have been without a manager for the past five months since Athrob Pietersen vacated the position earlier this year.
After the applications of Zola Yeye, Songezo Nayo and Liston Ntshongwana were technically unsuccessful, SA Rugby acting managing director Basil Haddad confirmed White’s assumption that the Springboks would probably not have a manager when they leave on Saturday.
”We haven’t had a manager and I know that SA Rugby are doing what they can,” said White.
”If it is not before Saturday I don’t think it is a train smash — the reality is that it needs to be a win-win situation for everybody.
”It is a very important position for South African rugby and I don’t believe that SA Rugby will rush things for the sake of putting in someone there. I’ve heard nothing yet because there is a committee looking at the shortlist and the consultation with the coach will come once they have the shortlist and we’ll see from there if there is a working relationship with whoever they feel is suitable for the job.
”At this point there has been no consultation. When they get a suitable candidate we’ll meet and see if there is a working relationship,” White said at the team hotel in Johannesburg.
It has been speculated that White and most of the Springbok team want the former managing director of SA Rugby, Nayo, to get the job as opposed to Yeye, who appears to be the man favoured by SA Rugby.
So deep was the divide reported to have been that rumours were rife on Monday that there was a looming Springbok player strike over the matter.
White, though, denied any knowledge of a player strike, saying that he had heard the rumour from the media and out of the three speculated candidates, it was only Nayo that he knew.
”I don’t know anything about it [the strike]. What I know is what you guys write in the media. The reality is that I don’t know two of the guys on the reported shortlist and I know Songezo [Nayo] because he worked at SA Rugby,” White said.
‘Not different from what I expected’
Meanwhile, England have handed White a trump card after announcing a team on Monday that White had been expecting for their two matches in November during the Springboks’ end-of-year tour.
White’s optimism about turning around the Springboks’ woes against England was further fuelled by the possible availability of prop CJ van de Linde, who commenced training on Tuesday after being sidelined by a neck injury.
The Springboks have not beaten England away from South Africa since 1997, a record White wants to rewrite before the two sides meet in the group stages of next year’s World Cup in France.
”They [England] have gone for big players. It is not different from what I had expected them to do. CJ is fine and started running today [Tuesday]. In all likelihood he will be available for selection next week. His injury is a lot better than it was last week,” White said of the Free State prop, who could be available for the opening Test against Ireland.
Despite being without a few influential senior players, whom White has opted to rest for this tour, the Springboks are confident of beating England, especially with their solid defence and strengthened attack.
White’s only cause for concern was the line-outs, which are without Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, and where Danie Rossouw, Johann Muller and Johan Ackermann will have the responsibility of making the calls.
”We still need to work on our attack. It is only fair that we spend more time on the line-outs. Guys like Danie Rossouw, Johan Ackermann and Johann Muller will only learn to make the calls at the line-outs when they get into those situations,” White said.
Besides wanting to beat England and Ireland, White will be using the tour to see which young players he could choose to beef up his preferred World Cup squad.
”This squad is as experienced as we can put together. This tour will also serve for us to see the next batch of players,” White said. — Sapa