Will probably be a full-circle second when Jake White and Sean Everitt duel within the Problem Cup quarterfinal in Edinburgh on Saturday.
White’s Bulls face off in opposition to Everitt’s Edinburgh within the Scottish capital, reuniting two South African teaching minds in a profession path of mentorship, divergence and symmetry.
What began as a mentor-protégé relationship advanced right into a friendship, then a rivalry and now an intercontinental showdown as the 2 groups battle to progress on the highway to Cardiff’s Problem Cup Closing on Friday, Could 23.
Their intertwined previous, from the Sharks to the Bulls and now this European showdown, provides a layer of intrigue to what’s already a high-stakes play-off.
The story begins in 2013 on the Sharks the place White arrived as Director of Rugby and coach, recent off a profitable Tremendous Rugby stint with the Brumbies in Canberra, Australia, following his 2007 World Cup triumph as coach of the Springboks.
Everitt, then an Assistant Coach with deep roots within the Durban franchise, labored below White whose time at Kings Park was transient, resulting in his departure after only one season.
In 2015, White swapped South Africa for France, taking the helm at Montpellier the place he shortly etched his identify within the file books, guiding the workforce to the 2015/16 Problem Cup title with a 26-19 win over Harlequins – underlining his credentials as a person who may remodel underperforming groups into contenders and champions.
Everitt, in the meantime, stayed with the Sharks, climbing the ranks and by 2019 he was Head Coach, main the workforce to consecutive Currie Cup finals in 2021.
His tenure resulted in late 2022 after a heavy defeat, however alternative knocked early the next yr when his cellphone rang and White was on the opposite finish of the road providing him a job.
The World Cup-winning Coach had returned to South Africa in 2020, rebuilding the Pretoria outfit right into a home pressure, and he recruited Everitt as a advisor.
The reunion was transient as Everitt was lured away in July 2023 to turn into the Edinburgh coach.
Quick ahead to 2025 and the Problem Cup has set the stage for an intriguing twist.
Everitt’s Edinburgh earned their quarterfinal spot with a gritty 24-12 win over the Lions within the Spherical of 16, mixing defensive metal with attacking aptitude. White’s Bulls adopted swimsuit, overpowering dwelling workforce Bayonne 32-22 with their trademark physicality and strike energy.
Now, the 2 teaching paths intersect once more in poetic symmetry: White left Everitt on the Sharks to win the Problem Cup with Montpellier, and Everitt left White on the Bulls and is closing in on the identical trophy with Edinburgh – solely to satisfy his former boss within the quarters.
White is aware of Everitt’s methodology from their Sharks days and the 2023 Bulls overlap, whereas Everitt has stable intel on White’s Bulls machine.
“I most likely know him higher than most different coaches know him,” White mentioned.
“I understand how he thinks, I understand how he coaches and I do know he’s intelligent sufficient to not go too removed from what Edinburgh needs to do.
“Edinburgh performs a sure type, Scotland performs a sure type, and I’m positive he’ll convey one or two nuances to the workforce however not go too removed from what has made them profitable up to now.”
Everitt was certainly profitable as Edinburgh clinched a 31-23 victory over the visiting Bulls. Nevertheless, when the 2 coaches battled within the inaugural URC playoffs, it was White’s workforce that gained via.
The Bulls completed the 2021/22 season in fourth place with 58 factors whereas Everitt’s Sharks logged 57 factors in fifth place. When elimination was on the road within the quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld, it was White who emerged victorious.
Now, the stakes are increased.
White’s Bulls are making their maiden Problem Cup quarter-final look. Their Investec Champions Cup marketing campaign resulted in three pool defeats, and the Edinburgh playoff represents a possibility for redemption.
Edinburgh, sitting eighth within the URC with 36 factors, has been extra constant in Europe, topping their Problem Cup pool with three wins.
Edinburgh will financial institution on the velocity of the Hive Stadium artificial turf and fervent dwelling assist, whereas the Bulls are battle-hardened and using excessive after victory in Bayonne.
It’s a tactical chess match with a private edge – a shot at an Edinburgh legacy for Everitt, and an opportunity for White to reassert his teaching seniority.
Buckle up, this one goes to be an eventful reunion.
