Jake still a winner in Canberra
Jake White admitted that although the Sharks lost to the Brumbies, he did get some satisfaction from his old team's gritty performance.
The table-topping clash was hyped up massively as a result of White's influence on both teams, and his style was evident on both sides as the boot ruled in the wet weather.
No South African side had managed to win in Canberra since the Sharks last victory here in 2012, and despite the Durban based team leading the overall standings that record will remain intact until at least 2015.
In the end the Brumbies scored the only try to take a 16-9 victory, but White said afterwards that he was a winner whichever way the match went.
"Tonight I probably couldn't have lost – I was always going to win something tonight.
"As much as it hurts with the team that I'm with, let's just take things into perspective … this is a good Brumbies team," he told Fairfax NZ News.
White said that he was impressed with the way the Brumbies have played this season in his absence.
"Some clubs would implode if coaches moved on. It's wonderful. It gives you a great sense of satisfaction," he said.
The Sharks coach revealed that he went straight to the Brumbies changeroom after the match to personally congratulate each player.
"To go in their changeroom and see them – now it's over, we can move on.
"The ones that I didn't have time to see I've seen now," he said.
He said that with the match now in the past, hopefully everyone can move on.
"It makes me feel a lot better to know that everybody can get it behind us and move on," he said.
Brumbies captain Ben Mowen admitted afterwards that the players had felt they wanted to prove a point to White.
"There was an undertone feeling there that you wanted to show a guy who's given a lot of guys an opportunity that you've continued to evolve," Mowen said.
Brumbies Director of Rugby, Laurie Fisher said it was a tough but satisfying win.
“I thought our mastering of the conditions and style of game was magnificent tonight, I thought our back three were superb under the high ball, I don’t think we shelled one in that first half from the back,” Fisher said.
“I thought the high balls that Jesse put up in the first half were superb. In terms of grabbing the game by the throat and giving it to the Sharks, I thought we were fantastic.
“We’ve played against sides like that for three years now and if you try to play from your own half you’re in trouble. We stuck religiously to our game plan and the result was a good win against the competition's top team,” he added.
