Current Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, received some sympathy from an unlikely source – World Cup winning coach Jake White.
Former Springbok and World Cup winning coach, Jake White has expressed the sympathy he feels for Bok coach, Peter de Villiers after the Boks’ exit last weekend.
“I have a great deal of sympathy for Bok coach Peter de Villiers. The expectations of a nation just add to the heavy load the man had to carry,” White wrote in his column on Rugby XV’swebsite.
“My feeling is that SA Rugby now need to take time to reflect what happened and not to blame De Villiers for their own failings.
He pointed out that de Villiers never got the support he needed and it played a huge role in whether he would have been successful or not.
White then redirected the blame on the doorstep of SARU, clearly not doing much to help their already strained relationship.
“This World Cup was lost by SA Rugby with the decisions they made four years ago.”
White went onto say that a winning mentality has to be instilled in the next wave of Bok hopefuls as a clean slate has now been handed to them and saluted those who has walked the same shoes he once walked in.
“And as I sit back with a whiskey and soda highball and raise a silent toast to all Springbok coaches, I have to ask myself one prickly question: Why is it the coaches always take the flak?
“Some things do change, but the more they change, the more they stay the same.”
Bok conditioning coach hits out at ref’s boss Paddy O’Brien
Conditioning coach Neels Liebel is the first person from the Springboks’ setup to vent anger at the referee’s at the Rugby World Cup.
Liebel, who has been the Bok conditioning coach under Peter de Villiers for the last four years, is normally a quiet and controlled individual. However, his frustrations appear to have gotten the better of him this time round.
He seems to believe IRB referee’s boss, Paddy O’Brien, should not have appointed New Zealander Lawrence as the referee in the Boks’ clash against Australia. Liebel also implies that having a South African referee (Craig Joubert) for the semi-final, somehow favoured the All Blacks against the Wallabies.
“Thank you Paddy O’Brain (sic), you won the World Cup for New Zealand,” he wrote. “Give the Boks a Kiwi ref and the Aussies v NZ a SA ref. A set up for Kiwi success…”
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October 18th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Some decency at last Mr Politician…
October 19th, 2011 at 12:03 am
“This World Cup was lost by SA Rugby with the decisions they made four years ago.”
Never been a big Jake fan, too low winning percentage IMHOWMFA, but those words are true. SARU are responsible for the failure but dont expect anything from those spineless bastards.
More politics and deals in rugby off the field and on field. This RWC stinks to me, will Bryce or Craig get a golden watch. Thank god this is my last RWC
October 19th, 2011 at 1:50 am
OK so it wasn’t Jake White heaping blame on the refs as the headline suggests but some guy involved with conditioning the Boks. I guess he would feel pretty defensive.
Jake has been on a number of rugby programmes in NZ during RWC 2011 and as usual has come across as a thinker and not one to make lame excuses. Thierry Lacroix, the Frenchman who did so well at RWC 1995 and then played for Natal appeared with him on Reunion last night. Great fun! Thierry says what he likes and raised a laugh but was quite a contrast to Jake who it seems is usually more measured in what he says.
I know he has his detractors but I feel Jake has done the hard yards and deserves some recognition. I look forward to seeing how he goes with the Brumbies next year.
October 19th, 2011 at 3:40 am
Reply to out wide @ 1:50 am:
Yep JW already has a 4 month head-start on the other S15 sides having started conditioning and training in July already, in an attempt to fast-track the ACT rebuilding process…
He now sits in a situation similar to where Phil Mooney was, identifying and bringing through young talent…
Before the RWC he was spotted at almost every major club game and has assembled and signed some of Australia’s most exciting young talent from U20′s, 7′s, league and even NZ…
Watch out for Digby Ione’s monster ex-Reds understudy Tevita Kuridrani…
Say what you want about his personality, he’s no slacker and is a forward thinking rugby brain through and through!
October 19th, 2011 at 10:09 am
Mooi Neels Liebel – delay any springbok introspection by another day why dont you?
In other words if we get a Ref from Mars and we play against Venus we will win – shit I I thought its about the 15 guys on the field?
October 19th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Very nice of Jake White, if any one understands it would be him.
October 19th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
Reply to its a 15 man game – embrace it! @ 10:09 am:
Brenden
Jy het my gemail en gevra kom ons beweeg nou aan…. moenie jy nou begin nie want ek’s nie regtig lus om stil te wees nie en doen dit want jy het gevra…