Jake White has, repeatedly in the past, taken teams from the doldrums to the top of their game.
He took the South African Under-21 from being no-hopers to winning a world title, the Springboks from ranked sixth in the world to No.1 and winning a World Cup, and more recently he took the Brumbies from finishing 13th out of 15 teams in 2011 to finalists last year.
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As coach of the Sharks he finds himself in a very different scenario – taking over a team with a proven track record and the current Currie Cup champions.
However, White, in an interview with this website, played down the value of the Currie Cup win last year in terms of Super Rugby form – as they search to win their first title on the SANZAR stage.
Despite having finished runners-up four times (2012, 2007, 2001 and 1996), as well as making the play-offs on four other occasions (2011, 2008, 1998 and 1997) White felt the Sharks’ Super Rugby form in 2013 is a much better yardstick.
“If you say they played in the Super Rugby play-offs many times, you have to remember they [the Sharks] came eighth last year,” the World Cup-winning former Bok mentor told this website.
“They were fourth among the South African franchises, just above the Southern Kings. It depends on how you look at it. This group of players, as I said, the Bulls, the Cheetahs and Stormers all finished higher than them. The Sharks may have won the Currie Cup, and to be fair they played well in the Final, but they lost twice to Western Province in the Currie Cup regular season.”
White said it is nice to have the buzz, the positive vibe and the atmosphere that comes out of winning the Currie Cup.
“However, we are not blind to the fact that we finished fourth out of five South African teams in Super Rugby last year. There is certainly a lot of work to be done.”
You know, that’s why I do not like Jake White… he always blabbers on and on…
Jakey, there are 14 other Super Rugby sides also preparing feverishly to go better than in 2013, prove what you want to achieve on the field, and stop “rekking jou bek” on the slightest provocation to do so.
Hell, the man likes the sound of his own voice….
Just see his red face on camera when his team loses and it will happen
2 @ Gena_ZA:
I do not think there is a more devided nation than South Africa, on the issue of Jake White.
It either seems you adore him or dislike him, nothing inbetween.
He is a good coach though.
But I liked him a lot when he was Bok coach, he has one of the best rugby brains on the planet.
What I tried to say one can clearly see when he is “die moer in” on camera
Perfectionism (Jake’s way) and rugby (players/team performances) don’t gel always
4 @ Gena_ZA:
Don’t know who talks the most kak, Jake or Snorrie.
Difference is Jake CAN actually coach too.
please, one can’t compare the two, I mean:
“When you walk through the valley of good and evil, you can’t have your bread buttered on both sides”
6 @ Gena_ZA:
I guess you can’t compary Snorrie to anybody in the world.
Hell, he’s gone from National Couch to coaching a Varsity Shield side (UWC)
@ Gena_ZA:
The problem with JW, is that when he talks cr@p, he sounds intelligent. PDV just made us laugh.
Was Snor truly the coach?.Or was it the senior player mafia/?He made me(and the
world)laugh and I love him for that.We are all too serious sometimes
over what is ultimately not life and death but just a game.Serious question.Who
scored for SA against the British touring team in 1896.? or was it 1898?And does
it matter now?
Go Sharks.
Look, I dislike the Sharks as much as the next man, but the levels of resentment towards Jake displayed on this site by certain posters are a little high. Is it because he made Matfield cut his hair?
10 @ Loosehead:
Loskoppie, you old Jake White Groupie!
Don’t you want to go sit in his lap and stare into his eyes too?
Hehehe
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