Jake White for Wales

After the political pressure-cooker of South African rugby, Jake White would take the pressures of Welsh rugby in his stride. He’s available, having turned down the insulting opportunity to re-apply for his own job — with a closing date the day before the World Cup final! He’s delivered a World Cup. And now he’s the IRB’s International Coach of the Year — surprise, surprise — for the second time. And apparently he would not see taking on Wales as step down.

So who else, is available before the Six Nations, and can tick all the boxes of ability, success, authority and willingness to tackle the mis-match between the players’ potential and team performance?

update 24/10/2007: South Africa, at least, are rethinking his departure. The BBC reports South African president Thabo Mbeki as saying:

It would indeed be odd that, in the moment of victory which comes after a period of preparation, you say ‘Thank you for your services, White, goodbye’.

This team went through the whole tournament undefeated. We end up with player of the year, the coach of the year and the team of the year. Drop the coach – why?

Why indeed? Of course, it may be a time for a considered parting of the ways, and for Jake to seek a new challenge. But treating him as if they couldn’t wait to drop him is exactly what SA Rugby have been doing. If they now loose him, they have no one else to blame but themselves. 

rugby world cup: the final

England 6—15 South Africa: the Boks ground out a victory and ground down England in a match that was effectively over by half-time: though the score was only 3—9, England were beaten before Mark Cueto’s ‘match-changing’ non-try (and yes, his foot did brush the line before he lifted it, though I wouldn’t have wanted to make that call in real-time). Defiance and team spirit had done a remarkable job in transforming a bunch of nondescript no-hopers into quarter-finalists, semi-finalists, and ultimately finalists: it wasn’t enough when faced with a side who could match their commitment and physicality, and out play them

And what of Brian Ashton: was he hero or villain in this remarkable — and almost universally unexpected — revival? Did he lose the dressing room or administer brutal shock treatment to force the players to take responsibility on the pitch? We’ve heard the rumblings about that players’ meeting, and today’s Telegraph article will no doubt be the first of many articles on the ‘players’ revolt’. I’ve no idea, but I suspect that, however the players now interpret it, someone must have administered a red hot poker.

update 22/10/2007: a less than resounding endorsement of Brian Ashton continuing as coach from Lawrence Dallaglio to the BBC:

There are system changes that need to be made — whether that’s personnel is not my decision. Everything isn’t rosy just because we got to a World Cup final… Brian Ashton turned things around, but then again so have the players and all the coaches. I think a review will be done, by the right people. Rob will head it up and I’m sure he’ll make the right decisions.

rugby world cup: the play-off

France 10—34 Argentina:  according to the BBC Argentina ‘powered to a convincing victory’ in this encounter with filled with more passion than you usually expect from the play-off; I’d say they simply smahed the French — and this to a French team who were up for revenge. To repeat myself, Argentina have surely proved that they are a force in world rugby who can no longer be ignored: before the next World Cup Argentina must have a place in the Tri Nations, if that tournament seriously believes its own strapline — the Best of Southern Hemisphere Rugby.

rugby world cup: semi-final

South Africa 37—3 Argentina: their hearts were big enough, but their bodies had taken too much punishment to stand up to the Boks. Too many costly errors — two long-range interception tries; and South Africa were hip to their driving maul. Still Argentina have surely proved that they are a force in world rugby who can no longer be ignored: before the next World Cup Argentina must have a place in the Tri Nations, if that tournament seriously believes its own strapline — the Best of Southern Hemisphere Rugby. Ah, and South Africa — now the only unbeaten team in the tournament — deserve that place in the final, and they are going to be bloody hard to beat.

rugby world cup: semi-final

England 14—9 France: a stunning start as Josh Lewsey took advantage of Damien Traille’s momentary hesitation when faced with a bitch of a bounce, but then it settled down to an ugly, nervous but thrilling semi-final. Until the last five minutes I thought this was the one England would lose because Jonny missed his kicks — missing a conversion, two drop goal attempts and a penalty. But ultimately France paid the price of attempting to sit on a one point lead, while Jonny Wilkinson demonstrated that he really is a big-gamer player, getting a penalty and a drop goal to seal the victory.  Mike Catt is right England have ’shocked the world’.

To do it again next week will be harder, whether South Africa or Argentina: either team will face England as the only unbeaten team in the competition; Argentina would bring unmatched hunger, and South Africa the memory of smashing the same England team once already in the tournament; both are capable of matching England physically.

gone by Christmas

The inevitable announcement from the New Zealand Rugby Football Union as Jock Hobbs tells a news conference: ‘We will have a new All Blacks coach in place by Christmas.’

People will argue for years — possibly decades — about Graham Henry’s rotation policy: maybe, like the Irish, the All Blacks had been too cossetted and, after an easy group, just couldn’t go through the gears fast enough; maybe, on their day, the French can take anyone — their response to the Haka showed their determination that it was going to be their day. 

Whatever, we should not forget his achievements with the All Blacks: a clean sweep over the Lions, an unbeaten record on European soil until last Saturday, and three Tri-Nations trophies. And he may not have lived up to the ‘Great Redeemer’ tag — that would indeed have required the ability to walk on water — but he brought Welsh rugby to speed on understanding of the requirements of the professional era.