David Leggat: White's misfortunes not unique for Boks

It will be a cold day in hell before life becomes simple for those at the sharp end of South African rugby.

Just when you imagined that under Jake White the Springboks were in decent shape - maybe not their worldbeating best of other years, but pretty competitive and building nicely towards You Know What next year - along came a grenade at Brisbane.

Now White's confident stride has become a hobble. He's having a severe dose of third-year blues and is copping some serious flak - but that is a familiar position for just about anyone whose desk has borne the title South African Rugby Coach since reintegration 14 years ago.

Go back to Nick Mallett, who is South Africa's most-capped coach, with 38 tests from 1997-2000 for the last real period of coaching stability.

But remember the inglorious reigns of some others since the late Kitch Christie won the third World Cup in 1995.

Remember Andre Markgraaff, who seemed to be travelling reasonably well, despite losing four of five tests against the All Blacks, until he was nobbled making racist remarks.

And how about Carel du Plessis? He was fast-tracked with a negligible coaching record and departed in equally swiftish fashion after dropping 55 points at Eden Park.

Not forgetting Rudolf Straeuli, who gave us Kamp Staaldrad leading up to the 2003 World Cup, when he had his players huddling naked in water holes in the middle of the night and breaking eggs over one another's heads.

Take away Mallett, who was popular with the players but a bit English for the powerbrokers, and Christie, and truly successful coaches have been hard to find.

Now, after losing to France in Cape Town, then the Brisbane debacle, the sand is shifting fast under White's feet.

He sought a two-year contract extension through to the end of the World Cup, which was rejected. Then there was the talk he was after the England supremo's job, which has Sir Clive Woodward written all over it.

Springbok elders have called for the blade to be sharpened. Then again, there's nothing new in grumpy old men voicing cute soundbites.

There is, of course, one simple remedy for White: Win in Wellington tonight. Even that might be more band-aid than cement, but at least it would give him time and space.

All the evidence - a swag of injuries, a disjointed squad, a spat over whether Solly Tyibilika is a quota selection, and an inability to perform basic rugby skills - suggests the chance of that are on a par with blue pigs flying over the Wellington stadium at kickoff tonight.

Now White is offside with the politicians back home over remarks attributed to him over Tyibilika.

Yes, Springbok coach is up there with being Naomi Campbell's maid or the bloke who repairs Winston Peters' weekly cockups. There are 100 simpler ways of earning a living.

For what it's worth, South Africa, 15 months out from the World Cup, would be better off sticking with White, whose overall record - 19 wins, one draw in 29 tests - is reasonable. But he's got to start introducing new faces soon.