Expectations high as Jake White leads Sharks in Super 15 opener
World Cup-winning coach Jake White will begin his bid to bring the Super 15 trophy back to South Africa when he leads the Coastal Sharks against the Northern Bulls in a high-profile opener tonight.
World Cup-winning coach Jake White will begin his bid to bring the Super Rugby trophy back to South Africa when he leads the Coastal Sharks against the Northern Bulls in a high-profile opener on Saturday.
White quit the Brumbies after being overlooked for the Australia national job last year, but he is widely tipped to be the man to end the Sharks' heartbreak after three final defeats. He is now at the helm of a Springbok-packed line-up and again in partnership with John Smit, the Sharks' chief executive and his victorious captain at the 2007 World Cup.
It is crucial to start well and it is a home game as well. You have to win your home games to give yourself a chance
The Bulls were the last South African team to win the southern hemisphere inter-provincial title when they claimed it for the third time in 2010. White led the Brumbies to last year's final, losing to the Waikato Chiefs.
The Sharks are favourites against the Bulls, who have been hit by an exodus of players, as the season starts with a South African double-header. The Cheetahs play the Lions in today's other game.
"It is crucial to start well and it is a home game as well," White said. "People have always spoken about the fact that you have to win your home games to give yourself a chance."
The Sharks underperformed last year, finishing eighth, but much faith is being placed in the motivational skills of White, famous for his four-season transformation of the Springboks into world champions.
Among their main rivals will be New Zealand's Chiefs, who are seeking a record-equalling third consecutive title, having crushed the Sharks then edged White's Brumbies in the last two finals.