Springbok coach Jake White is relying on South Africa’s Super 14 coaches to make sure key players are fit for the Rugby World Cup.
Unlike New Zealand and Australia, whose national coaches will oversee restrictions on playing time in the Super 14 for their best players, White said he was leaving those decisions to the coaches of the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks and Stormers.
”There is no such thing as me saying to them they must rest certain players and only play him for a certain number of games,” White told the South African Press Association on Monday.
”The reality this year is that there are 13 Super 14 games [excluding the semifinals and final]. If a guy plays the whole Super 14 and makes the final, the next Saturday we play England, followed immediately by another Test against England, Samoa, and then the Tri-Nations against Australia and New Zealand.
”It’s not rocket science that if a guy plays the whole season that by the time he gets to the World Cup he is going to have nothing left to perform. That’s why the decision was taken to rest players on last year’s end-of-season tour.
”My message to the coaches is to please be honest and fair to the player that you know will go to the World Cup and make sure you give him the opportunity to perform in the World Cup.”
The Super 14 starts next week and ends in mid-May.
White met with the five Super 14 coaches and four members of the South African union’s presidents council, including vice-president Mike Stofile, on Sunday in Johannesburg, and all promised to support White.
”Those people have a right to be there from a custodian point of view to assist and help if there are obstacles that are going to come up along the way,” said SA Rugby manager Andy Marinos.
”They can make it a very smooth year for us. We will lean on the experience and expertise of the Super 14 coaches.” – Sapa-AP