With focus on the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September, former Springbok coach Jake White says incumbent Bok coach Peter de Villiers faces a difficult task in deciding when to rest his key players in this year’s Tri-Nations.
“Peter will have to make a decision on how to structure it because there’s no way that these players can play Super 15 and Tri-Nations and still win the World Cup. It doesn’t matter how good they are, it’s just physically impossible to play all that rugby and still win the World Cup.
“What he might have to do is play the key men away and play the juniors in the home leg,” said White.
According to the SARugby.com website, the former Bok mentor identified the Tri-Nations opener between South Africa and Australia in Sydney on July 23 as the most important fixture leading up to the global spectacle.
“Watch the Australian game in Sydney and you’ll see whether or not we’re good enough because then there will be no excuse. They would’ve had their time to prepare and we would’ve had our time to prepare.
“They’re not the top contenders, New Zealand are, but that game will show us whether or not we can play away from home, whether they’re good enough and whether we’re good enough. They’ll have their full-strength team so it’ll be very interesting to see where we match up in that game.”
The two-time IRB Coach of the Year (in 2004 and 2007) reaffirmed his belief that defence wins World Cups and as such, said the Springboks should put a strong emphasis on improving this facet of their game.
White also confirmed that he would accept a late offer to take over from De Villiers ahead of the World Cup should such an offer materialise.
One subject that White remains decidedly torn over is whether or not Springbok captain John Smit should continue his playing career this season.
“It’s very difficult because I’m really close to him. I told him to retire and he’s very cross with me because I tell people that he should retire, and he would be remembered for a lot more than if he goes (to the World Cup).
“But, saying that, if I was the coach, I would be begging him to come with, so I’ve explained it to him. I said listen, if I was the coach I would be begging you to play but now I’m begging you to stop.”
White is currently working on a consultancy basis to coach the coaches of both TUT and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University ahead of this year’s Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.