White slams Coetzee selection policy

World Cup-winning coach Jake White has slammed Springbok coach Allister Coetzee for overlooking overseas-based players in his squad selections.

White, who guided the Springboks to a 2007 Rugby World Cup triumph, believes Coetzee's stubborn refusal to select players plying their trade outside of South Africa is costing the team dearly.

The only overseas-based player chosen was Worcester utility back Francois Hougaard, who has since been sent home after Coetzee deemed him surplus to requirements.

The Boks suffered a record-breaking 57-0 defeat to the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship a fortnight ago. 

White has made specific mention of Montpellier hooker Bismarck du Plessis, Toulon loose forward Duane Vermeulen and Montpellier scrum-half Ruan Pienaar as players who would add great value to the current Bok side.

White wrote in his latest column for AllOut Rugby: "Malcolm Marx is going to be a great Springbok, but he would get there much quicker if he was given the baton by Bismarck du Plessis. Bismarck got the baton from John Smit.

"Duane Vermeulen should be playing to give stability to the team and make sure that the next Bok number eight knows what to do to win the big games, and that applies across the team.

"We’ve got Raymond Rhule, Andries Coetzee and Courtnall Skosan all playing in their first season as Springboks together. There’s no team in the world that will win like that.

"Ruan Pienaar is still firing on all cylinders in top-class rugby. Pundits in South Africa are saying we don’t have a halfback now that we’ve just dropped Francois Hougaard, but Pienaar has 88 Test caps and he’s still playing against the best players in the world.

"Some will highlight times when he didn’t perform, but they don’t see what a player like that does for the youngsters in a squad, on and off the field, to help build for the future. And that’s what coaching is all about, the development of how you put a team together."