Springbok coach Jake White on Monday congratulated the Sharks and the Bulls on their achievement of reaching the semifinals of the Vodacom Super 14 competition.
White said the South African franchises’ cooperation with SA Rugby on the conditioning strategy of the national team has benefited rugby in the country immensely.
”It’s great to have two South African teams on top of the log,” said White. ”We are all looking forward to great performances this coming weekend. The fact that we are hosting both semifinals is an incredible feat for South Africa and I wish both teams well.”
The national coach said the improved performance of all the South African teams away from home was a key factor in the two local teams reaching the semifinals.
”It’s also a huge psychological boost for our players to win games abroad, given that we are playing the World Cup in France later in the year.”
He also praised the franchises’ coaching and management staff for the good cooperation they have had with SA Rugby.
”All the teams understand that this is a very important year for South African rugby. I have nothing but high praise for the cooperation between the national teams department and the various franchise coaches during the competition.
”They gave their full cooperation and were always willing to help SA Rugby with requests to manage the participation of national players in a specific way.” — Sapa