White ponders raft of job offers

JAKE WHITE ends his reign as South Africa coach ready to consider a host of job offers — including from Guinness Premiership clubs and a fourth division Welsh side.

White’s contract formally ends on December 31 but Saturday’s 22-5 defeat by the Barbarians was his final match in charge.

The 43-year-old’s coaching credentials are impeccable and there have been no shortage of suitors following the Springboks’ World Cup triumph in October.

After declining to reapply for his current post with South Africa he is one of rugby’s hottest properties and he will now take time out to consider his options.

“Rugby is in my blood and I want to stay in the game. I’ve had around eight or nine offers to coach,” he said.

“They’re from clubs and countries all over the world. Two or three of the clubs are English.”

Also in the hunt for his services are little-known Welsh side Llantwit Major, but White joked he has been deterred by competition from New Zealand’s World Cup coach Graham Henry.

“There was one Welsh club but it was a fourth division club called Llantwit Major and I didn’t think I was going to go there!” he said.

“A mate of mine is a local at the club and he says he thinks he can get me the job. But he’s a bit worried that Graham Henry has also applied!”

White continued: “The profile of the game is so big now that there are so many opportunities available.

“It’s not a case of playing one off against another and I never want to be that type of coach.

“For me the best move is to take a step back and see if you can add anything to the group.

“Also you have to consider where it will take you as a coach because you don’t want to accept a job for the sake of it.

“The most important thing for me is to enjoy and reflect on the achievement of the last couple of months.

“I haven’t had time to put my feet on the ground since the World Cup.

“It’s been an unbelievable year — I don’t know if South African rugby has had a year like this.”

White’s Springbok bow always looked like a match too far for the world champions and so it proved as they toiled in vain against a star-studded Barbarians side.

Matt Giteau, Martyn Williams and Rocky Elsom touched down for Eddie O’Sullivan’s team with Barend Pieterse registering South Africa’s only points.

The tourists pounded away at the opposition line in the final 20 minutes only for some heroic defence to keep them at bay.

Arguments over the validity of the Barbarians in the professional game resurfaced in the build-up to the fixture but White believes they must be preserved.

“The one thing we should never forget is that rugby union has history and we should not erode our traditions,” he said.

“We have to be excited about the way the Barbarians played against us.

“At the end they defended like they were playing for their countries. I can only compliment them. We mustn’t chisel away at them.”

Barbarians scorers: Tries: Giteau, Williams, Elsom. Cons: Giteau 2. Pens: Giteau.

BARBARIANS: J Robinson; J Rokocoko, C Smith, M Nonu, I Neivua; M Giteau, J Marshall; F Pucciariello, M Regan (capt),

S Ma’afu; B Cockbain, J Harrison; R Elsom, M Williams, J Collins.

Replacements: S Brits for Regan, T Flavell for Cockbain, JD Moller for Ma’afu (all 51), T Shanklin for Smith (58), B Cohen for Neivua, M Owen for Harrison (both 63) P Grant for Robinson (68).

South Africa scorers: Tries — Pieterse.

SOUTH AFRICA: R Pienaar; A Ndungane, F Steyn, J Fourie, B Habana; A Pretorius, R Januarie; CJ Van der Linde, B du Plessis, J du Plessis; J Ackermann, J Muller (capt); B Pieterse, J Smith, R Kankowski.

Replacements: W Olivier for Pretorius (33), C Jantjes for Janaurie, H Van der Merwe for J du Plessis (both 43), A Van den Berg for Ackermann (54), H Lobberts for Pieterse (66) T Liebenberg for B du Plessis (71), J du Plessis for Van der Linde (75).

Referee: C Berdos (France)