Former SA coach Jake White coaches DESC U19s

Denzil Pinto 09:36 05/10/2015
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  • DESC Under-19s.

    It’s not every day a World Cup winning coach oversees a training session, but that was certainly the case for a group of aspiring rugby players in the UAE.

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    Jake White, who led South Africa to the 2007 World Cup, took time out from his schedule as a television pundit for OSN Sports, to take charge of Dubai English Speaking College’s (DESC) Under-19 team training session.

    The 52-year-old gave advice and tips to the 26 boys, aged between 16 and 19, who are gearing up for an important season ahead with the Dubai Sevens and domestic season beginning from December.

    White, who won 36 of his 54 games in charge as Springboks coach during his three-year stint, put the boys through their paces through various forms of drills during the two hours session and it soon became evident why he was named IRB Coach of Year twice.

    Expert advice: White.

    “It was a really good session which showed the vast knowledge that Jake White has,” said Robin Giles, director of rugby at DESC. “To win the World Cup requires a lot of skill and knowledge and Jake certainly has that.

    “I certainly saw that when he was taking charge of the training session and the boys responded brilliantly to it.

    “The striking thing is the energy that he brought and the tips and advice he gave to the boys. There were small technical points but he stressed it was not all about what to do on the pitch, but more about changing the mindsets.”

    The boys were no doubt left in awe of White’s encouraging words with the latter saying: “It is important in developing, that you go in small steps. You certainly don’t want to go from a four to 10 in one day, it’s about moving from four to five and taking it step by step.”

    And Giles insists White’s presence will be a big boost to the players’ preparations for the season.

    “The boys loved it and are in a positive mindset. They got to work with a very good coach and will want to apply those methods in future training sessions and matches.”

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