Me and My Mate Eddie......

SPRINGBOKS coach Jake White has suggested the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup failure could be traced to when they sacked his mate Eddie Jones.

After South Africa set up a title decider with England on Saturday night by crushing Argentina in Paris, White was asked where the Australians fell short during a campaign that ended in the quarter-finals.
"I'll tell you what they're lacking and he's in our changing room," he said. "Eddie Jones is a clever man. He's astute, with an unbelievable work ethic.

"It's invaluable having a guy like that to talk to for feedback. Not just for me, but as a sounding board from the captain to the medical staff."

White said the obvious on-field deficiency for the Wallabies was a ricketty scrum.

"Their shortcoming is their prop forwards," he added. "The way (England prop) Andrew Sheridan attacked their forwards, it showed a glaring weakness in Australian rugby.

"They need to get their scrummaging right. I don't know that Eddie would have found the players they needed if he had stayed in Australia, but maybe he would have put some of those changes in place."