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Showing posts with label currie cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label currie cup. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

On the playing fields of Scotland

I'm in Bloemfontein today so just in case you're
wondering I phoned all these details through.

Before I start I would just like to say that I'm here
for Os du Randt's benefit dinner and consider it
an honour and a privilege to have been invited.

How many players in world rugby can claim to
have been part of two different World Cup
winning teams? In the case of Os being a
Springbok as well, makes this extra special.

I'm sure that everyone connected with the game
and South Africa wishes Os all the very best for
the future.

SARLA in Scotland

We've just returned from a South African Rugby
Legends Association
tour to Scotland. Sarla
does an enormous amount of work for SA grass roots
and it always fascinates me to read articles
asking me to get involved in assisting at this level.

I am and always will be involved at grass roots level
only the depth varies from time to time.

More importantly I played in the match between
the SA Legends against the Scottish Legends.
My first appearance for our lot.

We managed to beat them by 40 points to
twenty something but surprisingly I wasn't
awarded the man of the match.

If I find a bone in my body that is not still
hurting I'll let you know. Amazing how you
forget how difficult simple things like
breathing can become when you've been out
for a while.

We played the game at St Andrews University
and it was great to team up with Japie Mulder,
Breyton Paulse and the rest.

Joost was captain, Ian MacIntosh coach and I
was the playing-coach. Oh and before I forget
I was playing flank.

TRI-NATIONS

The All Blacks were vindicated for sticking with
coach Graham Henry.

Having lost the World Cup there was intense
pressure to bring in a new coach.

Despite losing between 8-9 of their star
players and a poor start with losses against
both South Africa and Australia, Henry's
wealth of experience saw this young
side through.

In terms of continuity and settling the
new players into the system experience
is vital as it proved.

In the end they were worthy winners
and we must learn from them.

Experience is crucial at this level.

CURRIE CUP

One of the most exciting years that I can
remember with all 5 top teams still in
with a chance of the semi-finals.

All of them are benefiting from the
return of their Springboks and it's going
to take a brave man to bet against any of
them.

It is a testimony to the depth of talent
we have in South African rugby today.

FINALLY

If I can get off this bed I'm off to what
should be a great benefit dinner.

Keep supporting the game.

Jake White speaking to Mail & Guardian's Mike Trapido

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Welcome to Jake White's World

When I have long departed this world and moved on to a better place, I hope that some young boy in Japan, many years from now, upon hearing mention of the name will say - “Jake White? I remember him – he was a rugby man”.

That is how I would like to be remembered. Not as the coach of this or that team, the winner of some or other trophy or even a man who somehow revolutionised the game, simply that Jake White was a “rugby man”.

Someone with a great love for the game, it's participants, traditions, legends and who lived and breathed the sport of rugby. That is what it's all about and that's where I am coming from.

When I was growing up rugby was about playing a game, visiting a stadium to watch your team play, listening to their game on the radio or reading an article in the newspapers. In other words a million miles from where we are now.

Rugby fans today can watch games from anywhere around the world live on television . This includes internationals, Super 14 or 6 Nations, provincial games, 7s and a host of other tournaments; the list is endless. In between there is newspaper, radio, television and internet coverage on every aspect of the game.

The internet, all on its own, provides a multitude of options for fans from blogging and forums to team news and results. There really is no limit to the scope of your enjoyment or involvement – it's really is up to the individual supporter.

On my blog I would like to cover various aspects of the game – ranging from technical to trivial depending upon the mood of the game at the time I put my thoughts down on “paper”. I hope that you derive some benefit as well as enjoyment from your visits here. While the magic of the World Cup seems a lifetime ago the game has rapidly moved on.

Over the next few weeks I'll be letting you have my thoughts on some of the interesting things that I come across in the real beautiful game. To start with I'll be keeping an eye on the Super 14s last round of games coming up this weekend and let you have my thoughts on those shortly. Also there is the announcement of the next Springbok squad which should be of interest to locals.

I'll also try and throw in a couple of memories from the World Cup along with a look at one or two technical points. Here's hoping that through this blog we can build relationships, learn a little bit from each other and have some fun along the way.

(Jake White speaking to Mail & Guardian's Mike Trapido)