Jake White not popular amongst his countrymen

Supersport wrote:South African rugby bosses are readying themselves to try and stave off a massive assault on their player corps, from former Springbok coach Jake White.

While European clubs poaching local players is nothing new, there is a lot of talk in local rugby circles about White and his “shopping list” – which includes a number of top Springbok and local players to move to Montpellier.

White has apparently been given the go-ahead – and loads of cash to back it – to lure some of the top South African talent to Europe, and right now he is targeting specific top South African talent.

This latest threat, coupled with the natural exodus after the Rugby World Cup later this year, may well see a massive group of players leave these shores again.

Already White has signed Western Province flyhalf Dimitri Catrakilis and the Bulls SA under-20 giant Jacques du Plessis to join the French club at the end of the season and it is clear he is intent on building a Super team for the French club.

There are rumours that both the Du Plessis brothers – Bismarck and Jannie – have already signed despite clauses in their SA Rugby contracts that only allow them to start negotiating in June.

White apparently has a “hit list” of South African players – many of them who are not Springboks already – that he is targeting to sign for the French club.

The former Bok coach’s knowledge of local players is to his advantage, although his chequered history with clubs – White hardly stays at a club for more than a year – and his acrimonious fallout with the Sharks and ACT Brumbies in recent years doesn’t seem to count against him.

At the moment it is the cash talking, so much so that the Bulls knew straight away they weren’t able to even come close to matching the massive offer that White made to the 120kg utility forward.

In Du Plessis’ case there is more to the story. There were whispers at Loftus Versfeld that he wasn’t happy with the arrival of Cheetahs flank Lappies Labuschagne – on a contract said to be more than 2x Du Plessis’ current salary, and was furthermore nonplussed by the prospect of moving to lock.

Given this background, the massive offer – said to be in the region of R5-million a season – was almost impossible to refuse, especially as it is around six times the youngster’s current salary.

The weak rand played its part, but not even an earnest plea from Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer – who phoned Du Plessis and tried to convince him to stay, could stop the player from following the money.

White has also lured his namesake – Brumbies scrumhalf Nick White to join Montpellier – who already have South Africans Wynand Olivier and Robert Ebersohn, and New Zealander Rene Ranger on their books.

The irony of White doing exactly what he always complained about regarding overseas clubs is not lost on the SA Rugby hierarchy either, but in a professional game where money rules, it is unlikely that they can do much to stop him.

Still, the rugby public shouldn’t be surprised if they hear a number of big names heading to Montpellier on big money contracts in the next few months.

Du Plessis and Catrakilis are said to be the first of many on the hit list, and with a shift in momentum after the World Cup, the hit list could simply quicken an already precarious exodus of talent from these shores.

Stephanus de Goede wrote:White is a piece of slimy incestuous snake feces. In his universe there are three forces namely his ego, his disloyalty, and his greed, all fighting one another for absolute dominance of his soul, which is colder and emptier than a starless void.

What did he do for 4 years after 2007? Had a failed company, which the Lions paid millions before they roped in Mitchell, to try and help, which was obviously a fail.
For 5 years the guy achieved nothing, and then in 2.5 years he has hopped from one union/club to the other.
His aspirations to coach international rugby is almost childish, pitiable and laughable. All rolled into one. He will step on, over or though anyone and anything just to prove to SARU they were wrong in letting him go. Everyone knows he left the Brumbies when it was clear he wouldn't coach the Wallabies.
I'm pretty sure if Jake thought he will take over from Meyer at the end of 2015 he would have bitten his lip and played along with the Sharks. Alas...
Phillipe Saint-Andre's future with France looks bleak at best and the FFR's head coaching job will surely be open soon.

What a self-serving snake.

formerly known as Sam wrote:I can see the FFR changing head coaches (probably post RWC ) but can't see the selecting a foreigner. A foreign assistant coach certainly  (there's precedent there ) but I can't imagine they'd go for a foreign front man on current form.

formerly known as Sam wrote:I can see the FFR changing head coaches (probably post RWC ) but can't see the selecting a foreigner. A foreign assistant coach certainly  (there's precedent there ) but I can't imagine they'd go for a foreign front man on current form.

ebop wrote:Reading OP articles like this really make my blood boil, they really do. More often than not its rotten pr*ck expats like White that do the luring of talent. I'm beginning to really despise expat coaches as they can coach wherever they want and have no restrictions like players do when it comes to national appointments. Disloyal scumbags IMO. I can't imagine anyone in the NH will empathise with this viewpoint, for obvious reasons.

ebop wrote:Reading OP articles like this really make my blood boil, they really do. More often than not its rotten pr*ck expats like White that do the luring of talent. I'm beginning to really despise expat coaches as they can coach wherever they want and have no restrictions like players do when it comes to national appointments. Disloyal scumbags IMO. I can't imagine anyone in the NH will empathise with this viewpoint, for obvious reasons.

Bathman_in_London wrote:http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/scholarship-to-lure-aspiring-springboks-20130316-2g7yc.html


As said above, White has a history of this sort of thing. The difference being at the Brumbies he didn't have the same pile of cash to throw at experienced pros so he had to target the younger ones.

I feel a bit for French academy lads, rugby is a real passion in southern France and so many potentially good players are just never going to get a chance. The rule seems to be: Player born south of the equator > player born locally.

Biltong wrote:

ebop wrote:Reading OP articles like this really make my blood boil, they really do. More often than not its rotten pr*ck expats like White that do the luring of talent. I'm beginning to really despise expat coaches as they can coach wherever they want and have no restrictions like players do when it comes to national appointments. Disloyal scumbags IMO. I can't imagine anyone in the NH will empathise with this viewpoint, for obvious reasons.

I am with you ebop, I fully understand we don't have the money or even the number of clubs necessary to provide spots for all our players, but it is beginning to grind me to no end, that our domestic rugby is beginning to suffer because of pricks like Jake White.

quinsforever wrote:you are a montpellier supporter, yes?

what is the fan view of jake white?

funnyExiledScot wrote:NZ seem to have this right. If you want international rugby, you play in NZ, subject only to exceptional circumstances (e.g. Carter sabbatical).

England have also nipped this in the bud (e.g. Steffon Armitage).

offload wrote:I have no knowledge that let's me comment on Jake White - but it's clear that emotions run high.

I'm struggling a bit though to understand the root complaint here.  Is it the talent drain to other countries or White's actions?

We are barely 20 years into the pro-era for rugby and the major nations are still wrestling with domestic and international structures and business models that govern the sport.  In a professional and free market - why are the likes of Jake White to blame?  I haven't enjoyed the demise in domestic Welsh rugby, but I blame the inept attempts in Wales to deliver a fantastic product more than I do the the French for having more money.