Bok coach White keen on Wallabies job

SYDNEY – Springboks coach Jake White has expressed interest in coaching the Wallabies in the wake of Australia’s shock World Cup exit, it was reported yesterday.

The Australian newspaper said White was keen on taking over from John Connolly as Wallabies mentor if he lost his current job after the World Cup. The paper suggested that White could be ousted to make way for a black coach as South Africa presses ahead with plans to make the Springboks more racially representative regardless of their World Cup performance.”Any international job would be something that excites me,” White told the newspaper when asked about how he would react to an approach from Australia.The Springboks have assumed the mantle of tournament favourites after New Zealand’s departure and White admitted he wanted to remain on the world stage if South Africa decided he was no longer needed.”I want to stay in international rugby,” he said.”Once you’ve coached in international rugby, you want to stay in it.It’s in your blood.”The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will launch an international search for Connolly’s successor, with Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans believed to be the top target, although New Zealand are favourites to secure his services.Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher and his Waratahs counterpart Ewen McKenzie have also thrown their hats into the ring as the post-mortem into Australia’s 10-12 quarter final loss to England continues.McKenzie said the Waratahs’ disappointing second-last performance in the Super 14 competition this season should not hinder his chances of replacing Connolly.Brumbies boss Fisher, who also coaches Australia A, said the Wallabies had underestimated England ahead of the quarter-final.He also said some in the Wallabies camp had given England ammunition for the clash, singling out coaching advisor Alec Evans, who predicted Australia would “smash” England by 30 points.Wallabies centre Adam Ashley-Cooper also said Australia was poised to put a lot of points on the board against England and “make a statement” to tournament rivals.They did, though not quite the statement Ashley-Cooper intended.Evans is known as “the scrum doctor” in Australia for his work with the 1984 Grand Slam and 1999 World Cup teams.But the doctor failed to cure the ailing Wallabies scrum, which expired early in the quarter-final against a dominant England pack, leaving Australian fans crying into their beers.Nampa-AFPThe paper suggested that White could be ousted to make way for a black coach as South Africa presses ahead with plans to make the Springboks more racially representative regardless of their World Cup performance.”Any international job would be something that excites me,” White told the newspaper when asked about how he would react to an approach from Australia.The Springboks have assumed the mantle of tournament favourites after New Zealand’s departure and White admitted he wanted to remain on the world stage if South Africa decided he was no longer needed.”I want to stay in international rugby,” he said.”Once you’ve coached in international rugby, you want to stay in it.It’s in your blood.”The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will launch an international search for Connolly’s successor, with Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans believed to be the top target, although New Zealand are favourites to secure his services.Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher and his Waratahs counterpart Ewen McKenzie have also thrown their hats into the ring as the post-mortem into Australia’s 10-12 quarter final loss to England continues.McKenzie said the Waratahs’ disappointing second-last performance in the Super 14 competition this season should not hinder his chances of replacing Connolly.Brumbies boss Fisher, who also coaches Australia A, said the Wallabies had underestimated England ahead of the quarter-final.He also said some in the Wallabies camp had given England ammunition for the clash, singling out coaching advisor Alec Evans, who predicted Australia would “smash” England by 30 points.Wallabies centre Adam Ashley-Cooper also said Australia was poised to put a lot of points on the board against England and “make a statement” to tournament rivals.They did, though not quite the statement Ashley-Cooper intended.Evans is known as “the scrum doctor” in Australia for his work with the 1984 Grand Slam and 1999 World Cup teams.But the doctor failed to cure the ailing Wallabies scrum, which expired early in the quarter-final against a dominant England pack, leaving Australian fans crying into their beers.Nampa-AFP