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Cape Town - Former Springbok coach Jake White says current coach Heyneke Meyer should believe in his own game plan and coaching methods and stick to it.
Meyer has come under fire recently for the using a predictable kick-and-chase type of game plan, which has seen the Boks fail to win any of their last three encounters in the Rugby Championship. A 21-11 loss to New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday left them in second-last position on the overall log.
However, White feels it's impossible to please everyone and urged Meyer to stick to what he believes in.
Speaking to Ballz Radio on Tuesday, White acknowledged how tough the Springbok job can be.
"Everyone's got a view on who he should be dropping and who he should be playing and a lot of people's got a view on how he should be coaching. At the end of the day if there's one advice that Ian Mac (McIntosh - former Bok and Sharks coach) gave me while I was coaching is: You got picked for a certain skill, you got picked for a certain job... and in terms of doing a job, just do it in the way that you believe it should be done.
"As soon as you start doing it someone else’s way, inevitably it doesn’t work and then you never ever forgive yourself because you end up trying to coach everyone else’s way instead of the way that you want to coach.
"Just stick to what you think is going to work. And just make sure you believe in what you really believe in and stick to it."
He did acknowledge that the style of play that Meyer is employing is a "very unique style" synonymous with the way the Bulls play, but feels Meyer should take the criticism on the chin. "Mac (Ian McIntosh) got flak for being too close to the Sharks, Kitch (Christie) got flak for being too close to the Lions, Nick (Mallett) at times was castigated for picking too many Stormers players. So the reality is that, that goes with the territory," said White, who is currently in charge of Australian Super Rugby franchise, the Brumbies.
The Boks now have a week off before they take on the Wallabies in Pretoria on September 29. They finish their Rugby Championship campaign a week later against the All Blacks in Soweto.
HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you think of Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s game plan? Should he follow Jake White's advice or not? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
Meyer has come under fire recently for the using a predictable kick-and-chase type of game plan, which has seen the Boks fail to win any of their last three encounters in the Rugby Championship. A 21-11 loss to New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday left them in second-last position on the overall log.
However, White feels it's impossible to please everyone and urged Meyer to stick to what he believes in.
Speaking to Ballz Radio on Tuesday, White acknowledged how tough the Springbok job can be.
"Everyone's got a view on who he should be dropping and who he should be playing and a lot of people's got a view on how he should be coaching. At the end of the day if there's one advice that Ian Mac (McIntosh - former Bok and Sharks coach) gave me while I was coaching is: You got picked for a certain skill, you got picked for a certain job... and in terms of doing a job, just do it in the way that you believe it should be done.
"As soon as you start doing it someone else’s way, inevitably it doesn’t work and then you never ever forgive yourself because you end up trying to coach everyone else’s way instead of the way that you want to coach.
"Just stick to what you think is going to work. And just make sure you believe in what you really believe in and stick to it."
He did acknowledge that the style of play that Meyer is employing is a "very unique style" synonymous with the way the Bulls play, but feels Meyer should take the criticism on the chin. "Mac (Ian McIntosh) got flak for being too close to the Sharks, Kitch (Christie) got flak for being too close to the Lions, Nick (Mallett) at times was castigated for picking too many Stormers players. So the reality is that, that goes with the territory," said White, who is currently in charge of Australian Super Rugby franchise, the Brumbies.
The Boks now have a week off before they take on the Wallabies in Pretoria on September 29. They finish their Rugby Championship campaign a week later against the All Blacks in Soweto.
HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you think of Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s game plan? Should he follow Jake White's advice or not? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
