Jake White
Does Jake White have a valid point in blaming player fatigue on the last couple of results that went against the SA Conference leaders, the Cell C Sharks?
While it is true that the Sharks lost a few players to the national cause, it wasn’t as if it was the bulk of their side. Frans Steyn played one match, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and Willem Alberts were all either rested or rotated during the 4 Test matches in June. JP Pietersen had the biggest work load for the Bok team if measured in minutes played.
In contrast, the Waratahs players who were involved in the Test series against the French, for the Wallabies, seemed to have lifted their game to an ever higher level.
The same can be said of the All Black players who were involved in a tough 3 Test series against a strong England side.
Does fatigue, when playing for the national side, only affect South African players? Not if one looks at how the Cheetahs Boks stepped up against the Sharks this past weekend. Their players also played all the preceding weeks, were involved in the training camps, played Test matches during the June Test window, but on Saturday they didn’t look jaded at all. The same can be said of Duane Vermeulen who played almost every minute of every Stormers match as well as the Tests.
The Sharks are good enough to still win the Super Rugby title this year, the pedigree of their players and coaching staff is second to none in the SA Conference, but they should be focussing on mental fatigue rather than physical fatigue. We have seen this picture play out many times before in the past, with both the Stormers and the Sharks. The Stormers have made an effort to address this issue with the appointment of previous Bok psychologist Henning Gericke, and it looks like that move is bearing fruit.
Producing one’s best rugby when it’s “back to the wall” and “underdog status” type rugby is good enough to pull off one surprise victory, but not over a sustained period of time and not to win a competition of this nature.
The following article was published on SARugbymag:
Sharks director of rugby Jake White has blamed his side’s late-season implosion on a heavy workload, but still believes they can go on to win the competition.
Defeats to the Stormers in Durban in late May and the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday have seen the Sharks slip from first on the combined log to third. To finish second and secure a home semi-final, they now have to beat the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday and hope the Crusaders slip up against the Highlanders.
White blamed the amount of rugby his team has played over the past three months for their latest setback.
‘The Sharks players spent themselves in the four weeks that they were playing for the Springboks and also being involved with the camp leading into those games,’ the coach said. ‘Consider that those players have played for 12 weeks in a row. That is three months without missing a Saturday. Three months of having to front up on Saturdays without taking a break does take its toll. I have no doubt that it’s not the Australasian tour, it’s just the workload that is catching up to the players.’
White insisted the Sharks could still win their first Super Rugby title.
‘Everyone assumes that if you finish third in the competition going into the play-offs, you have absolutely no chance; you may as well call off the competition when the teams finish first and second. This team [the Sharks] has won the [South African] conference, they have 46 points and still have a chance of getting a home semi-final but if it doesn’t happen it’s only the first year [of White’s tenure]. Everybody is so negative about the fact that ‘gee, they can’t win the competition anymore’. I still think we have a massive chance of winning this competition and I still believe we can.’
Welcome back
Your team cost me big time on Saturday, really making things hard for themselves
@ nortierd:
thanks nortie. actually I predicted a loss (see my new position in the local log)
😉
@ Charo:
Lol, I didn’t, cost me a very much needed GSP.
Thought they would have just too much class in the forwards, but what happened to Kanko and Keegan Cullen? Where are they?
Your loosies were supposed to be better than theirs, especially with Brussouw and Boom out.
@ Charo:
I handed out some backhands out here on Saturday and the guys were squealing harder than the underfed pigs on Thandi Modise’s farm.
@ Stormersboy:
Great, so I take it you are renting now?
I am sure that in time a place across the road will become available.
I enjoy staying in Tjoeras and I am 5km from the office.
@ Fern:
“I handed out some backhands out here on Saturday and the guys were squealing harder than the underfed pigs on Thandi Modise’s farm.”
Ha ha, lekker lag ek nou.
@ nortierd:
before the game the local press were quoting jw as saying the pressure was off.
don’t think they were motivated enough.
@ Fern:
howzit ruff ‘n tuff bluff boykie
@ Charo:
Wentworth Hotel is the place now to go for a kief curry and a cold Bluff dumpy on a Friday I have been told.
wentworth is across the bay.
britannia on umgeni is closer for me
@ Charo:
Britannia is the best.
Waiting 45min for a crab curry does not faze me, I’ve got some chill.
Lamb Chop Chutney is awesome aswell.
I have found a spot close to me here, I can however Make a lekker curry aswell, if no one told you then you would not know a wit ou made it.
Besudes being the first wit ou to win the Jabulani Hostels stick fighting chamos for 3 years in a row I also won the Chatsworth Bangra Open Dancing Competition.
My mendhi designs and painting is still sought after aswell.
don’t talk ekse
so much of achievements for such a lightie or what?
@ Charo:
Hey man the ou’s were getting all nara and pulluawad with me,the aunties were all excited and what not.
@ Fern:
Ja the plan was to rent for a year before I put any capital in, I need to make sure that it’s where I wanted to be but I will look to buy in the next year. Possibly even build, there is a lot of stock around here at the moment.
The place we have now would be perfect, it’s in a great complex and the house is fantastic but he doesn’t want to sell.
You also in the area?
Gumboots wrote:
Yes I still feel that way, but that’s OK. Not looking to rush or pre-judge anything, just taking it day by day. Business is good so i have no complaints.
PS I see that the Bulls have started a toll-free helpline to assist people to get over the loss on the weekend.
Just dial 0860 16-0 16-0.
😀 😀 😀
@42 @ Stormersboy:
We have been extremely happy here as well, so much so that my family don’t want to move back to Cape Town. Business is really good as well. I’m wanting to move back to Cape Town as all our property is there, and once the business is fully operational here, I can commute between the two places. The people here are fantastic and make you feel really welcome – a huge plus indeed. You will be very happy and your kids will adjust easily. If I do go back to Cape Town, I will miss Pretoria for sure…
@ Stormersboy:
Nope I am in Centurion.
That is a good area as is Centurion where I am.
Lots of people buy old houses in old areas for a “bargain”.
Problem is that no money is being spent in those areas for infrastructure upgrade and houses older than 60 years has got heritage issues especially if you look at building on or improving the house.
People overcapitilise big time more often than not.
The East has not got that “built up” feeling such as other areas,just behind my complex we have a 3 hectare conservation area with a walking trail and about 5 buck there.
I have noticed some very nice new shopping centres going up there and the one even has a ice rink.
I find people in Pta very friendly in general and it is not as fast paced as Jhb.
There is a lot of dev in that area so it def is a buyers market in my opinion.
Stay away from the Olympus area as the traffic congestion there is hectic,where you are is fine.
@45 @ Fern:
Howdy Fernly…
Stormersboy wrote:
G’day guys. Everyone getting along ok, I see?
And welcome back, Fern you naughty rascal. 🙄
@ nortierd:
Good job, Norty. Love your work.
@ IAAS:
Thanks, appreciate.
Stormersboy wrote:
Being the inquisitive bloke that I am I called that number last night…the lady who answered was so distraught I ended up comforting her…
a creep of tortoise moves faster than the capacity to think of all these JW haters.
Says Einstein himself.
@ Fern:
Good to know, thanks!
@ BrumbiesBoy:
I have never claimed to have class, manners or high intellect.
As you were.
@ Stormersboy:
There is a servitude to widen the main road going past Olympus but that job is going to be a nightmare to do with the high traffic volume.
Jake is not only talking about the last 4 weeks of international duty but also about the preceeding weeks of SR.
I think its fair to say, considering both SA and NZ coaches have said as much, that the Aussie SR conference is far less abrasive.
The waratahs have had to play against the Force, Rebels and Reds home and away which is hardly the same as playing the Bulls, Stormers and Cheetahs etc. Or even worse in the case of the Kiwi conference.
Im not saying the Aussie sides are easier to beat, Im just saying that the attrition rate of SA and NZ sides is that much more than that of Aussie sides in SR.
Therefore they can go into an international season feeling a lot less worn down and able to play more rugby.
Jake does have a point but he must also look at himself and blame himself for the manner in which the Sharks are playing at present.
@ Fern:
I’ll keep that in mind.
@ John Galt:
Good points and post, but the ease with which the Waratahs beat the Highlanders, who are also vying for a top 6 spot compared with how the Sharks lost to the bottom placed side is worrying.
Then, as you say, the issue is how his team is playing, not how tired the players are. Accountability doesn’t seem like Jake’s strong point, his side had it all even before the tournament started, favorable draw, if compared to the other franchises and a very strong squad of players.
They capatilized on that and started well by winning their home games, had a great tour, yet now, when it really counts, things are going pear shaped. Since Lambie got injured they had to rely on their forwards to win them games by forcing penalties, the odd back line tries they scored was more down to individual brilliance by Reinach or Mvovo than slick back line moves. The Highlanders showed in Durban that if a side gets parity with or the better of their forwards, they are in trouble.
Eish, history is against us this week…
BRUMBIES’ LAST-ROUND DROUGHT
2008: Western Force 29 bt ACT Brumbies 22 (a)
2009: Waikato Chiefs 10 bt ACT Brumbies 7 (a)
2010: Canterbury Crusaders 40 bt ACT Brumbies 22 (a)
2011: NSW Waratahs 41 bt ACT Brumbies 7 (a)
2012: Auckland Blues 30 bt ACT Brumbies 16 (h)
2013: Western Force 21 bt ACT Brumbies 15 (a)
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/act-brumbies-to-welcome-back-star-players-for-mustwin-clash-against-western-force-20140707-zsyv5.html#ixzz36rUSiUIk
Jake was very lippy when the Sharks beat the Waratahs at home, look like the NSW coach will have the last laugh.
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