CAPE TOWN: Jake White quit the ACT Brumbies halfway through a four-year plan, but replacement coach Stephen Larkham says the foundations he put in place had been "invaluable" to the club's revival.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Brumbies returned to White's home of Cape Town this week and are desperately trying to keep their Super Rugby title hopes alive.
White's influence on the Brumbies has been a focal point of South African media this week. The former World Cup-winning Springboks coach turned the Brumbies from a rabble in 2011 to grand finalists in two years, before abruptly walking out on the club.
Having shared the coaching role with Laurie Fisher after White's departure, Larkham said the Brumbies were continuing to evolve, while still relying on some of the foundation White had built.
"It was invaluable to have Jake there and Laurie Fisher as well," Larkham said.
"Laurie Fisher was a very good technical coach, Jake is more of a man-manager ... it was good to see the contrast between the coaches.
"Jake obviously brought in a fair bit of South African structure to the Brumbies, specifically kicking out of our own half. A lot of the stuff he brought in, we'd been doing at the Brumbies since 1996.
"It allowed me to see the game a different way and our game has evolved since that point."
The Brumbies haven't won a game in South Africa since White left the club at the end of 2013. That year the Brumbies pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Super Rugby finals history by beating the Pretoria Bulls in a grand final qualifier at Loftus Versfeld.
The Brumbies need to recapture that magic to stay at the top of the Australian conference. They play the Stormers in Cape Town before moving to Johannesburg to take on the Lions.
The Brumbies haven't won two games in South Africa since 2007 and haven't beaten the Stormers at Newlands since 2010.
White is now in charge of French club Montpellier, and has recruited former Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen and halfback Nic White.
"Jake took over the club when we were coming 13th and he was good guidance for us, but we've evolved over the past four years," Nic White said.
"Bernie [Larkham] has really helped us find the edge. Jake laid the platform and since then Bernie has taken us forward, helping individuals get better. It's been a good evolution of the coaching staff.
"The base of our game is certainly still the same as what Jake had it, we've just tried to add it. There is still some South African style in our game as well. We're trying to find the right balance."
The Brumbies are hopeful five-eighth Matt Toomua will make an earlier than expected comeback next week and join the team in Johannesburg.
SUPER RUGBY ROUND 13
Sunday: Cape Town Stormers v ACT Brumbies at Newlands, 1.05am. TV time: Live on Fox Sports 2