Springbok assistants may get the chop

Jake White appears safe, but the heads of assistant coaches Gert Smal and Allister Coetzee are both likely to roll in a shake-up of the Springbok management before next year's World Cup.

South African Rugby officials have identified Blue Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer and Cheetahs mentor Rassie Erasmus as possible assistant coaches.

South Africa's backline has struggled for penetration this year, while the forwards were outplayed by France, New Zealand and Ireland. However, SA Rugby will chiefly be hoping that any new appointments are more aggressive in challenging White.

National selection convenor Peter Jooste and selector Ian McIntosh are also likely to get the chop.

White will today face SA Rugby's Presidents Council in Cape Town to explain this year's shocking run of results in which the Springboks have won only five out of 12 tests.

However, he has been buoyed by Saturday's 25-14 win over England at Twickenham and his argument that he has been planning with the bigger picture of the World Cup could hold sway at today's meeting.

"It's the World Cup that we've been working towards and this victory (over England) has given us a major boost ahead of facing them in France," White told journalists.

White will nevertheless have to accept certain conditions if he wants to stay on as coach. According to the Cape Times's sources, these will include assistant coaches of SA Rugby's choice and an empowered technical committee that will assist with selecting.

Nick Mallett and Andre Markgraaff have both been identified as candidates for the technical committee. Some union presidents also favour greater involvement by Super 14 coaches as selectors.

White has also frequently clashed with the Blue Bulls, who passed a motion of no confidence in him after South Africa's recent 32-15 defeat to Ireland.

He has also been able to overrule Jooste and McIntosh on selection issues. A strong critic of Super 14 coaches selecting players out of position, White picked three backline players in unfamiliar positions - Bryan Habana at centre, and Jaco Pretorius and Francois Steyn on the wings - against the Irish.

The Springboks have had a nightmare year and opinion is divided among members of the Presidents Council over whether White should stay on as coach. Contrary to reports, it will not be expensive to sack him as his contract expires after the World Cup next year.

However, the main concern is that it is too close to the World Cup to make a change and SA Rugby may decide to strengthen the structures around White. It will then be up to him to decide whether he is prepared to accept the conditions.

Meanwhile, the strength-versus-strength format of the Currie Cup also appears to have been saved.

Harold Verster, the chairman of SA Rugby's competitions committee, said different strength-versus-strength formats would be discussed.

"There was talk of going back to 14 teams, but it will definitely be strength versus strength. We're looking at split options like 8-6, 9-5 or even 7-7," said Verster.

"The other option is to go back to the 2005 format of qualifiers, with the 14 teams split into two sections and the top four finishers in each then making up the top eight.

"The problem with such a system is that you don't know who will be playing against who until the last Saturday of the qualifiers and that makes it difficult for the broadcasters to sell advertising.

"The sponsors and broadcasters are not comfortable with us fiddling with the format and that could be the decisive factor.

"The TV viewership for this year's Currie Cup final was bigger than any of the tests and slightly less than the 1995 World Cup final.

"I consulted all the sponsors and the broadcasters, which was never done in the past. It's going to be a difficult meeting, but I think in the end we will listen to the sponsors, broadcasters and public."

The most likely outcome is that SA Rugby will stick with a format of a top eight and bottom six. However, they will have to consider the claims of Boland and the Leopards for inclusion at the expense of the Pumas and Falcons. The argument may be settled via play-off games.

SA Rugby are also likely to introduce promotion-relegation play-offs in the future.

It will nevertheless be every union for itself in today's meeting, which could get heated. All the public, sponsors and broadcasters can hope for is that common sense prevails.

The Presidents Council will make their recommendations to the SA Rugby board, which convenes in George on December 8.