Jake White says the Springboks are unlikely to turn things around before the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
The Boks have had two calamitous seasons under Allister Coetzee, who is set to be sacked after the current end-of-year tour.
Whoever replaces Coetzee will have less than two years to transform the Boks into serious World Cup contenders.
In his latest column for AllOutRugby, White says that is unlikely to happen.
‘I’m not saying it’s impossible for South Africa to be a force in Japan in 22 months’ time, but I’d say that line of thinking is more for the dreamer than for the guy who understands the quality of the competition you’re up against at a World Cup.
‘England coach Eddie Jones has compiled a dossier on the All Blacks based on the feedback he got from his British & Irish Lions players – that’s the level of homework that’s going on, so you can’t just arrive with two years to go and think you can catch up.
‘The people that want the Springbok job will say that you can build a team in two seasons. Kitch Christie got the job late in 1994 and ended up winning in 1995, but that was when the game was still moving from being an amateur sport into professionalism, and South African rugby was probably more professional than most other countries at that time.’
Photo: Paul Faith/AFP Photo
