Rob Houwing - Sport24 Chief writer

Cape Town – Springbok World Cup-winning coach Jake White has been “in contact” with the Western Force about taking over the reins at the Super 14 franchise next season.
So suggested reputable national daily newspaper The Australian on Wednesday.

The report effectively continued the merry-go-round surrounding White’s next employment as a head coach; he was recently touted as a strong possibility to take over the Leicester Tigers job after Heyneke Meyer’s withdrawal for family-illness reasons.

According to the paper’s Bret Harris, “an informed source” had told them White had been in contact with the Perth-based outfit.
John Mitchell remains in charge of the Force and has a contract stretching to 2011, but there has been conatroversy about his coaching methods and management style in recent weeks.

White, said The Australian, would provide the Force with “instant credibility” and help the Force “retain and recruit players”.
But the former Bok coach’s agent Craig Livingstone strongly pooh-poohed the rumour to Sport24 on Wednesday.
“Jake is considering his options, which include interest from the UK, Biarritz in France and also the American Eagles,” said Livingstone. “We can laugh off the Force report.”

White has been a consultant to English club Saracens and recently revealed that he was enjoying his hiatus from the responsibilities of chief coaching.
The Force are edgy about their future not only because of the turbulence surrounding Mitchell: playmaker Matt Giteau will return to the Brumbies next year, close friend Drew Mitchell is being approached by the same side, and the Waratahs are apparently interested in highly-rated teenager James O’Connor.

Perth-based newspaper The West Australian quoted Force chief executive Greg Harris as saying it was “nonsense” to suggest White was in talks with them.
“I’ve never spoken to him or his agent, hand on heart.
“John (Mitchell) is contracted for the next three years. We’ve just been through a very thorough review … he has my full support now.”