Rugby World Cup winning Springbok coach Jake White says his only regret was that he never managed to beat the All Blacks on their home soil.
The revelation is in White's new autobiography, In Black and White,
which has been serialised in the South African Sunday Times and a number of other
newspapers. The Boks came very close on two occasions, in 2004 when the All Blacks
were saved by a Doug Howlett try in the dying seconds on Jade Stadium
then the next year there were similar scenes when Keven Mealamu scored
late as the All Blacks hit back to win 31-27 in Dunedin.
There are other several revelations in the book, including the dramas which surrounded his forced selection of Stormers skipper Luke Watson. White reveals Watson was not given the traditional Springbok initiation into the squad because the players believe he did not deserve his spot.
He also says how when he first met former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to talk about joining the South African World Cup campaign, his first words were "Can you turn silver into gold, mate?"
White also added that Jones deserved the gold medal he won with the South African side.
"Eddie had often tried to stay in the background but I wanted him to feel an integral part of the SA history that he had helped shape."
Then there is the description of a run-in with skipper John Smit following a tough training run ahead of the side’s quarter-final against Fiji.
Smit told White afterwards, "That was the worst training session we've had in four years!
"I didn't enjoy the drill; it reminded me of how the Boks were in 2003.
"We've been together for so many years; we can't do any more now. The last thing we need is for you to start panicking about whether we can do a certain move or not…You've coached us for four years. If we can't maul now, we're never going to be able to."
White describes Smit as 'a rock' in the book: "Sometimes we have differing views. John is not a yes-man kind of captain. We get along well, but he doesn't say yes coach, no coach, three bags full," White said.
