White blames bad behaviour on league taint

Jake White

PRETORIA - South Africa coach Jake White believes the infiltration of league culture into the Wallaby ranks may be partly to blame for the decline in player behaviour standards in the Australian team.

White, who had little doubt events of the past two weeks had affected Australia's preparations for the Tri-Nations test, said the Springboks were "fortunate that we don't have a rugby league culture in our team".

"I say that with respect to rugby league. I don't know them all that well but you read, and they often have a different make-up," he said.

"We have traditional rugby schools. It's very important to us how we prepare for rugby union games.

"It's how important the rugby union ethos is."

Two of the players at the centre of the controversy in the Australian team are league recruits Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor.

The pair were out nightclubbing until 4am two days before the test against the Springboks in Johannesburg.

Australia lost the game 33-20. Tuqiri also was involved in a heated altercation with third string halfback Matt Henjak, who was sent home over the incident.

White said he could understand why former Australian rugby greats such as David Campese and Simon Poidevin expected better of players.

The South African mentor has had a relatively trouble-free run with the senior Springbok team since taking over in 2004.

White's predecessor, Rudolph Straueli, had to deal with reports of racism in his team and also presided over a pre-World Cup training camp that saw naked players forced into freezing water at gunpoint.

"I really didn't want to be patronising, I just said to [Jones], 'Hang in there'," said White, who met with the Australian coach and embattled Wallabies manager Phil Thomson to give them his support following the disasters of the last fortnight.

"I know what it's like. It's one of those thankless jobs.

"When you are winning, everybody is with you.

"When you're losing, you're like a lone soul.

"We've been there, South African rugby's been there - everyone is throwing stones."

White said he didn't know what he would have done if presented with the same situation but intimated he would have found it difficult to send players of the calibre of Sailor and Tuqiri home.

"To be fair, I would have wanted to win the test match."

- AAP