Would Jake White solve things?

[RugbyReg]

Dunno. I guess he won a World Cup.

Not convinced he would attract big names though.

WORLD Cup-winning Springboks coach Jake White has emerged as a potential candidate to take over the reins at the Western Force if the Super 14 franchise releases its embattled coach John Mitchell at the end of the season.

An informed source has told The Australian that White has already been in contact with the Force.

Mitchell, whose coaching methods and management style were the subject of a recent inquiry, remains contracted to the Force until 2011. But there is still uncertainty about his future.

It is understood the Force has already decided that if it does cut Mitchell, it will replace him with another high-profile coach.

The recruitment of Mitchell, who coached the All Blacks from 2001 to 2003, was regarded as a coup for the Force, which opposed the wishes of the ARU by signing the first foreign coach of an Australian Super rugby team.

White, who achieved what Mitchell failed to do by guiding the Springboks to victory in the 2007 World Cup in France, would certainly provide the Force with instant credibility.

A coach of White's stature would help the Force retain and recruit players.

He has not coached a team since the World Cup but has acted as a consultant to English club Saracens.

There are fears in the west of a player exodus following Wallabies five-eighth Matt Giteau's decision to return to the Brumbies next year.

Force fullback/winger Drew Mitchell is being chased by the Brumbies, NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds, while the Waratahs are also very interested in young Force inside centre James O'Connor.

Indications are that Mitchell will follow his close friend Giteau to Canberra.

Mitchell said that joining Giteau in Canberra was "an option worth looking at".

"A big part of my reasoning in coming over here was to play with Matt Giteau," Mitchell said.

"It's going to weigh quite heavily in my considerations as to what team I'll play with next year.

"My next contract will take me to another World Cup campaign (in New Zealand in 2011) and I want to make sure that I give myself every opportunity to be in the reckoning for that."

There was speculation the Waratahs would intensify their efforts to recruit Mitchell if current fullback Sam Norton-Knight accepted an offer to play in Japan or Europe.

But the Waratahs are keen to secure Mitchell and O'Connor whether Norton-Knight stays in Sydney or not.

The Waratahs' backline has stuttered a little bit in its opening two wins against the Hurricanes and Cheetahs.

But with Mitchell at fullback and O'Connor at inside centre, the Waratahs would field one of the classiest backlines in world rugby.

Force CEO Greg Harris said earlier in the week the club would recruit a foreign five-eighth or inside centre to replace Giteau.

But John Mitchell said yesterday the Force would seek a marquee number 10.

While the 18-year-old O'Connor was a long-term prospect at five-eighth, Mitchell saw his immediate future at inside centre.

"James is going to be a very good player," Mitchell said. "He can play three positions, but he's very young and needs to gain experience. And the best way to gain experience is by playing but also being surrounded by a person who does have experience and that's a solution to arrive at.

"Most of the players who have become great fly-halves in the world, like Dan Carter and Matt, started their careers at 12 and moved into 10.

"It gives them time and space and also allows them to give voice to their fly-half and also for them to see opportunities to present themselves.

"So I see in time, as he develops that plus his kicking game, that he can become a very good fly-half.

"In terms of our capability we've still got a great opportunity to develop players. And we've got a chance to buy the best in the world."

While players will no doubt leave the Force, fears of a mass exodus are overstated.

The Force has about 20 players coming off contract, but there are only so many vacancies at the other three teams.

The Force received a boost yesterday when Australia under-20 second rower/flanker Sam Wykes re-signed for two years.

Wykes played nine games for the Force last year but he is recovering from an off-season shoulder injury.

"I have really enjoyed my time in Perth and I'm happy to have the opportunity to develop here at the Western Force for at least the next two years," Wykes said.

"I got my first opportunity here and we've got a really good squad and I'm looking forward to getting back on the field."

 

[Moses]

Fringe white Saffa's with an Aussie grandparent would be most interested

 

[PaarlBok]

White is currently helping out Ikeys in our Varsity Cup. Not sure if he'll be interested, got himself a rich Mrs living on a nice wine farm between Somerset West & Stellenbosch and having kids in Bishops, Want to swap this life for Perth and the Farce, not likely. :nta:

 

[brokendown gunfighter]

you have obviously never been to Perth

however our wine farms are called vineyards over here :lmao:

The Force,by the way,deny having any contact with white

unless of course they were comparing notes on shiraz

 

[PaarlBok]

you have obviously never been to Perth

however our wine farms are called vineyards over here :lmao:

The Force,by the way,deny having any contact with white

unless of course they were comparing notes on shiraz

Sorry Boet I dont even leave paarl easy these days. Call them vineyards or whatever but Jake is married to a former Miss SA and maybe its what between the legs that he care about. She is really stinking rich and have this what you call race horse stables.

Honestly think he'll want to coach on national level anyway but you never know.

 

[Thomond78]

Fuck me. Avontuur?

 

[steiner]

I think the Force would be crazy not to keep Mitch if he wants to stay. Providing he's prepared to tone down the tantrums a tad, and he's indicated that he will, and that he will learn from this. I don't see where they're going to get a coach who'll match Mitch's tactical expertise, not in Jake White anyway.

 

[formeropenside]

White is currently helping out Ikeys in our Varsity Cup. Not sure if he'll be interested, got himself a rich Mrs living on a nice wine farm between Somerset West & Stellenbosch and having kids in Bishops, Want to swap this life for Perth and the Farce, not likely. :nta:

PB, thats superb: I can't wait to use that term to a vineyard owner I know who will turn purple with rage on hearing his beloved estate referred to as a "wine farm".

 

[Lindommer]

PB's "wine farm"? Settle down lads, ease up on the poor old bastard. Just remember his first language isn't English. Most of the people I know in the wine trade would see the humour in a Boer's description of a vineyard. For all we know the original words in Dutch/German/Afrikaans may well be "wine farm" literally.

 

[formeropenside]

PB's "wine farm"? Settle down lads, ease up on the poor old bastard. Just remember his first language isn't English. Most of the people I know in the wine trade would see the humour in a Boer's description of a vineyard. For all we know the original words in Dutch/German/Afrikaans may well be "wine farm" literally.

Seriously, I'm not having a go at him, and I know English is not his native tongue. Thats such a wonderful description, perfectly correct, and it would have never have occurred to me in a million years.

 

[Ash]

FO; call it a "grape farm" to him instead and see if that gets a better result.

 

[PaarlBok]

We call it here "Wyn Plaas" meaning Wine Farm. Then we call the important person on this farm "WynMaker" meaning Wine Maker. Make sense to me. :nta:

Thomo: Do you know Avontuur. His Mrs is Ylanda Klopper, well that klopper part sound nice on its own and they breed race horse also. Think her Mr nr1 was the real breeder.

 

[Pfitzy]

To me, "vineyard" sounds so small and pathetic anyway. I like Wyn Plaas - its awesome. I'm going to start using Kitchen Dutch terms around the place to make myself sound foreign and interesting.

 

[Thomond78]

We call it here "Wyn Plaas" meaning Wine Farm. Then we call the important person on this farm "WynMaker" meaning Wine Maker. Make sense to me. :nta:

Thomo: Do you know Avontuur. His Mrs is Ylanda Klopper, well that klopper part sound nice on its own and they breed race horse also. Think her Mr nr1 was the real breeder.

A former Ms. Thomo used live up the Helderberg Pad, just left after Avontuur on your way to Somerset Wes. See the wine here as well.

For what it's worth, I'd refer to a vineyard as a wine farm about half the time as well.