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Jake White linked with vacant PRO14 role
By Ian Cameron
Former Springbok head coach Jake White has been linked with a move to the PRO14.
Afrikaans outlet Rapport are reporting that the former Rugby World Cup-winning coach with the Springboks has inquired as to the vacant 'Head Coach and Director of Rugby' role at the Toyota Cheetahs.
White currently coaches at Toyota Verblitz in Japan but is set to be replaced by current All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen after the Rugby World Cup.
The report suggests that White has inquired about the role that would see him return to his native South Africa. The 55-year-old is no stranger to aggressively pursuing roles, having infamously contacted Rugby Australia in 2018 during a particularly rocky period for current Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika.
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Last week the Directors of the Free State Cheetahs gave their blessing to Franco Smith to pursue a role within the Italian Rugby set-up as of `1 January, 2020. In the meantime Smith will remain in the position as Head Coach of the Cheetahs for the Currie Cup, whereafter the new coach will take over the reins for Guinness PRO14 in September.
The PRO14 side that applications for the position will be "advertised internally, externally and through SARU." White would be required to be part of the coaching structures during Currie Cup "to experience the culture" and would have to work alongside Smith, who will stay in the fold as Director of Rugby until the end of November 2019.
The Cheetahs Board of Directors has started with the process by assigning a panel which includes relevant "role players" that will be responsible to appoint the "best candidate as the new Head Coach for the Toyota Cheetahs".
A statement last week read: "Franco was offered the opportunity to coach the Italian national side from 1 January 2020. The Board of Directors see this as a great opportunity for Franco and is proud of the fact that so many top coaches have been developed by the Free State Cheetahs.
"Free State Rugby is seen as a breeding ground of opportunity with coaches like Rassie Erasmus, Niel Powell, Jacques Nienaber, Pote Human, Brendon Venter, Rory Duncan, Daan Human, who all started off in the Free State – and in the past, Nelie Smith, Gysie Pienaar and others.
"The Board of Directors is proud of and wishes Franco the best of luck with the opportunity to coach on an international level until the next world cup in 2023."
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Latest Comments
Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistol! Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistol! Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistol!
It's incredible to see the boys playing like this. Back to the form that saw them finish on top of the regular season and beat Toulon to win the challenge cup. Ibitoye and Ravouvou doing a cracking Piutau/Radradra impression.
It's abundantly clear that Borthwick and Wigglesworth need to transform the England attack and incorporate some of the Bears way. Unfortunately until the Bears are competing in Europe, the old criticisms will still be used.. we failed to fire any punches against La Rochelle and Leinster which goes to show there is still work to do but both those sides are packed full of elite players so it's not the fairest comparison to expect Bristol to compete with them. I feel Bristol are on the way up though and the best is yet to come. Tom Jordan next year is going to be obscene.
Test rugby is obviously a different beast and does Borthwick have enough time with the players to develop the level of skill the Bears plays have? Even if he wanted to? We should definitely be able to see some progress, Scotland have certainly managed it. England aren't going to start throwing the ball around like that but England's attack looks prehistoric by comparison, I hope they take some inspiration from the clarity and freedom of expression shown by the Bears (and Scotland - who keep beating us, by the way!). Bristol have the best attack in the premiership, it'd be mad for England to ignore it because it doesn't fit with the Borthwick and Wigglesworth idea of how test rugby should be played. You gotta use what is available to you. Sadly I think England will try reluctantly to incorporate some of these ideas and end up even more confused and lacking identity than ever. At the moment England have two teams, they have 14 players and Marcus Smith. Marcus sticks out as a sore thumb in a team coached to play in a manner ideologically opposed to the way he plays rugby, does the Bears factor confuse matters further? I just have no confidence in Borthers and Wiggles.
Crazy to see the Prem with more ball in play than SR!
Go to commentsWhat these stats actually seem to show is that there isn't a massive about of variation in the number of cards/penalties conceded by the top teams.
South Africa received 13 yellow cards in 13 matches; Ireland received 11 in 12; New Zealand received 11 in 14. The difference is pretty immaterial.
In terms of penalties, SA conceded 131 in 13 matches; England conceded 111 in 12. Considering England had the best record of anyone, SA are hardly far off the pace.
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