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CAPE TOWN - South Africa coach Jake White is confident of staying in charge for the 2007 World Cup when he defends his tenure before the SA Rugby President's Council in Cape Town today.
White had to make a quick round trip home to answer a motion of no confidence from the amateur arm of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) at a meeting of the country's 14 union presidents.
He is flying straight back for the South Africa's match against a Rest of the World 15 in Leicester on Sunday after playing three tests on a November tour of Europe.
The BBRU, under pressure from a former players group headed by ex-Springboks Frik du Preez and Piet Uys, made the call two days before the Springboks' first test against England at Twickenham on November 18
The Springboks, who opened their tour with a 32-15 defeat by Ireland, lost that match 23-21 but bounced back with a 25-14 victory over England in the second test to end an eight-year run of losses at Twickenham.
"I feel confident of taking the Springboks to the 2007 World Cup," White told Reuters from London before his flight to South Africa on Tuesday.
"I still believe that we are on track and have achieved what we set out to do on this tour.
"I see being able to address the president's council as a positive step to reinforce our plan for the Springboks."
The president's council cannot fire White, but they can recommend that course of action to the SA Rugby board, which meets on December 8.
Calls for White's head have come from sections of the rugby fraternity in South Africa, especially Afrikaans-speaking media and commentators, after only five wins in 12 tests in 2006.
However, White has lost two home internationals out of 18 and directed the Springboks to three wins over the All Blacks in the past three years.
In that time New Zealand have only lost one other test, to Australia in 2004.
He rested veterans Os du Randt, Victor Matfield, Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse and Fourie du Preez from the November tour and lost key players like Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie, Joe van Niekerk and Bakkies Botha to injury but had the backing of the sport's leaders to take an experimental squad.
- REUTERS
