I don't doubt that when Jake White received a job offer from the Fiji Rugby Union, his mind would have turned to one of his most harrowing coaching experiences.
It was the 2007 World Cup, and after the Springboks had done the hard work of winning their pool and earning an “easy” quarter-final against Fiji, they almost blew it.
I was in the media box alongside the coaches' area, and I saw Jake turn white as the Flying Fijians turned on the flair and drew level with the Boks with 20 minutes to go and massive momentum behind them, plus a very excited crowd baying for the underdogs.
The Boks were falling apart before White’s eyes.
Captain John Smit later confirmed just how perilous their position had become when I wrote his autobiography, Captain in the Cauldron.
It is worth going back to that chapter in Smit’s book and reliving how close the Boks came to crashing out of a World Cup they went on to win:
“Onward to Marseilles, the jewel of the south of France, for a weekend of the most unforgettable quarter-final action. We stayed in the hotel the All Blacks had been staying in, and when we arrived, we saw they had left their baggage behind, anticipating a return to France from their quarter-final against France in Cardiff.
“We wondered if they were tempting fate.
“The hotel was right on the beach, and you could have cast a fishing line from your room window into the bright blue Mediterranean. We had an ideal week of preparation, and the sea and sunshine were a refreshing change after Paris’ fog and smog.
“We played on the second day of the quarter-finals and watched the first two quarters with extreme interest. We were shocked when England beat the Wallabies 12–10 and pleased because we knew we had England's number, while we never knew with Australia. And when the All Blacks lost to France, our hotel erupted.
“Our road to the title had been cleared of a major obstacle.
“My biggest task the next day was to dispel any doubt that Fiji could knock us out.
“We almost did get knocked out though, and our perilous position at 20–20 after 60 minutes induced one of my better off-the-cuff speeches. Fiji drew level after a sensational try by Sireli Bobo and the crowd went berserk.
“The Islanders seemed to grow another foot taller and wider. My heart sank, and then I thought, no way, it will not happen to us too. I had the minute for the conversion attempt to pull the team together.
“I instructed Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen not to try and charge down the kick. It missed, thank heavens, and I called the guys into a huddle.
“I said: ‘Not a word from anybody. Listen to me. We have to understand what we are facing here. South Africa have never lost to Fiji. We are the Springboks. We believe we should win the World Cup, but we have put ourselves in a grave situation and have two options. We can continue seeing Fiji as a threat and go into the last quarter fearful, or we can regard the glass as half full, which means we have 20 minutes to play the game we planned instead of this loose rubbish that has given them attacking opportunities.
“‘Guys, we saw the All Blacks getting knocked out. We saw them with eyes like saucers, not knowing what had happened.
“‘They were forced into situations, panicked, and didn't play to their strengths. Remember those TV shots of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter looking like they had just seen a massacre?
“‘I'm seeing the same look on your faces. Your four-year dream is about to be obliterated unless something dramatic changes.
“‘The difference between the All Blacks and us right now is that when their World Cup lives passed before their eyes, they didn't have it in them to stop the horror show. They are going home now.
“‘They can't fix it, but we still have time. We can still fix it, and we damn well will.
“‘This is the plan. We are going to kick deep. Bryan, you will chase and catch the receiver. Our forwards will arrive and put pressure on them until we turn the ball over. We will be awarded a scrum near their line, and we will score from that. Alright?!’
“And that is exactly what happened. The guys had understood the consequences of falling victim to fear, and their response was superb. We then kept the game watertight; Fiji never got another opportunity, and we won comfortably, 37–20.”
White will understand that match encapsulates exactly what he must do with Fiji — combine their exceptional flair with the ruthless structure and efficiency of the Springboks. And if he gets that right, he will have the perfect rugby team.