There was something rotten in Jake White's Montpellier
French media reports have torn White’s coaching tenure to shreds. Big style
Few are mourning the end of the Jake White era at Montpellier, if a brutal interview in the French press is anything to go by.
Two days after Montpellier’s season ended in play-off defeat at home against Racing 92 (but, possibly, before the 2007 World Cup-winning coach cleared his desk), second-choice hooker Charles Geli let fly in twice-weekly rugby newspaper, Midi Olympique.
The 30-year-old Frenchman took indiscriminate-yet-damaging shots at everything from White’s man-management skills and coaching methods, to the attitudes of some of the players brought in during the South African’s two-and-a-half years in charge.
White and his staff, Geli said, were careless in their treatment of players. He told Midol (as the paper is known in France): “They told us that French players were bad, that we knew how to do nothing, and that they would have to explain everything to us.”
The ex-coach’s attitude towards his players – notably Fulgence Ouedraogo and François Trinh-Duc – has jarred with the French for some time. And the direct, brutal rugby White’s team played had fans running for the nearby soccer club.
Worse, he could barely even summon up the effort to learn the language – a lapse that is widely regarded as insulting. It is known that club president Mohed Altrad was far from impressed.
In the Midol interview, Geli touched on the language barrier, claiming that video sessions were conducted in English. And he spared little fury for some of the players White brought into the squad: “Guys who have been here for two years can barely speak two words of French. I should have gone to play abroad – I would have known then it was up to me to adapt.
“I had better relations with the fans than with some of the players I trained with every day.”
Geli, who had seen just 478 minutes of game time this season, and nothing in the past 10 weeks, was thrown into the heat of last weekend’s all-or-nothing play-off match when Bismarck du Plessis left the field for an HIA in the 25th minute and did not return.
He said: “I did what I could. You’re out of the reckoning and all of a sudden you’re told, ‘Go ahead, be the best’. That only happens in books.
“In my two seasons at Montpellier, my rugby has got worse, while my English has improved. That’s a shame because I had the opposite ambition.”
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The bad PR from the Altrad did not stop at Geli’s interview. The day Midol hit the streets, the club announced it had released six players from their remaining contracts. Those suddenly and unexpectedly looking for new clubs included players’ union president Robins Tchale-Watchou, South African Pierre Spies, Fijian Akapusi Qera, and French trio Marvin O’Connor, Antoine Battut, and Joffrey Michel.
The 34-year-old Tchale-Watchou – who is on indefinite stand-down following repeated concussions – revealed the players, three of whom had featured in the play-off defeat against Racing, were told the news at an end-of-season barbecue for players and staff.
In an interview with Rugbyrama, he said: “This is the atmosphere at Montpellier. I often think of friends I know elsewhere and it’s another world of rugby. This is what we have to deal with. I’m more disgusted than anything else.”
His version of events, however, is disputed. Altrad reportedly said that Tchale-Watchou knew he was leaving for four months and had a job lined-up elsewhere.
The latest sextet takes the number of end-of-season departures from Montpellier to 16. Eleven of those leaving are non French-qualified players, as the club moves to clear space to comply with tightening league rules from next season.
Among the confirmed 10 arrivals for next season, seven are French qualified. And if Louis Picamoles does head to the Altrad in the summer, as French media continue to predict, eight out of 11 will be French. There is still time for more names to be added to the list.
At least incoming head coach Vern Cotter speaks French. That should please his predominantly French squad. But the barbecue massacre followed decisions he reportedly made about his playing staff next season. That probably will not please his squad.
Following the cull over the cutlets, however, chances are his preceding reputation is somewhat tarnished. Expectations had been so high. Now, many are just hoping that the new boss will be not quite like the old boss.
Sure, Jake White brought silverware – in the shape of the Challenge Cup. On his watch, Montpellier twice reached the end-of-season play-offs and qualified for the Champions Cup. But, his style alienated many fans who had loved previous coach Fabien Galthie’s sexy rugby.
It’s now also clear he broke the dressing room. He’ll no doubt argue it was necessary; that in creating Sharks-sur-Med, he gave the club a hard, winning edge it had previously lacked.
Unless Cotter works closed-season wonders, those two-and-a-half years of Jake White could end up doing the club more harm than good.
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments