White to lock it up in SA

Brumbies coach Jake White is on his way to South Africa in search of a lock to play for the Canberra-based Super Rugby side next season.


The former Springbok coach has filled all but one of the 30 places in his squad for next year, and is looking for promising young player that will add depth without breaking the bank, as the Brumbies are close to their salary cap.


The Canberra side staged a remarkable resurgence this year under White's guidance and narrowly missed out on topping the Australian conference, but with seven players leaving their ranks at the end of the season they are in need of a quality player to bolster their depth.


White has moved quickly to replace the departing players, most notably replacing Waratahs-bound openside flank Michael Hooper with Wallaby star David Pocock, and with veteran lock Ben Hand off to French club Grenoble White is on the look-out for a rising South African second row star.


There was speculation that White was chasing former Bok stalwart Danie Rossouw, but the Japan-based veteran's price tag will be too hefty and with Scott Fardy, Sam Carter and Leon Power all proving their worth this season indications are that he will look to lure a talented young player from his home country.


Wallaby hooker Stephen Moore believes that the Brumbies will be able to build on their promising campaign this year and said that the franchise has their sights set on eventually securing their third Super Rugby crown.


He told the Canberra Times: "The end point for us is to win a Super Rugby championship, and I think that's achievable in the short to medium term.


"No one thought we'd do anything this year and we almost made the finals. If we can keep improving the way we did this year, anything's possible," he said.