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Raise Your Game: What do you believe has enabled you to achieve such great success as the South African coach?

Jake White: It's quite simple really. Let's look at what works with the South African team. You settle on a group of players and start working with them. You get your mind around the fact that you are looking for certain players in certain positions and once you've got them you make sure you put the team together and give the players the opportunity to develop as a team.

RYG: What's the most important thing when the team are out there performing?

JW: The most important aspect is in the way we attack. When we keep the ball, run the plays and execute the things we've been practising together for a while, it is quite amazing how simple it can be. It's always very pleasing when you work on different plays and moves over a period of time and then you get the opportunity to re-enact them during test matches.

RYG: How do you feel now you've accomplished so much?

JW: I'm very happy and relieved that we've achieved everything we set out to do as a group. This year has been by far the most successful year South African rugby has ever seen and I'm not just talking about winning the World Cup. We have also won 14 out of our 17 test matches during the last year and I'm not sure if that has ever been done before.

We have the leading points scorer in the Rugby World Cup, we have the 2007 IRB Player of the Year and we are now ranked number one in the world. The reality is that there's a sense of relief that we've achieved everything we set out do achieve.

RYG: It's almost a year ago that you were in Britain having to win a game to keep your role as coach of the South African team. What life lessons have you drawn from that whole experience?

JW: I believe the most important lesson I've learnt is to stick to what you believe in and if you do that you'll get the return on your investment.

RYG: What did you do in order to turn around the fortunes of the team?

JW: There's a famous football manager by the name of Alex Ferguson who coaches Manchester United and he was just one game away from being fired. By now, everybody writing books on managing football teams and looking at success stories in football will be sure to include the name Sir Alex Ferguson in those books.

It just goes to show that sometimes you're there at the right place, at the right time and you'll get a bit of something that goes your way. Again there's that important lesson, where it's crucial you stick to what you believe in.

RYG: Your coaching has had a huge impact on the South African team. What do you think you've given them that they can use to carry them through to future success?

JW: Two things. First of all I've given them belief. You've got to believe in your own abilities as a person and a player, but secondly, and most importantly, I've taken them back to the values system and the traditions that are important in South African rugby.

There's a standard that has been set before us and unfortunately that's the one thing you're not allowed to negotiate on. We've been privileged enough to have a history of success in rugby and we have had some great players and standards that have been set before us by great teams. That's the message I've been explaining to the South African players - you're allowed to be criticised because you'll only get criticised if you're not achieving the standards people expect of you.