South Africa's Rugby World Cup winning coach Jake White has entered the storm surrounding current mentor Peter de Villiers by offering to become the country's "coaching director".

White and the SARU split acrimoniously after the Springboks' triumph in France last year but de Villiers, the first black man to coach the Boks, has come under immense pressure with the side slumping to just one win from five Tri-Nations Tests.

De Villiers has said he is trying to change the Springboks' playing style to suit the game's experimental laws, but rumours persist that players are unhappy and the Durban crowd loudly booed the coach after last Saturday's 27-15 loss to Australia.

South Africa has no national coaching director's position but that hasn't stopped White from offering his services.

"The Boks wouldn't be in this position if there was a director of coaching who helped map out a style of play," White told South African newspaper The Times.

"The job requires someone who's been at the top of the game and who can offer advice and set out a structured plan for the Springboks.

"I don't want to be the coach, but I'm concerned about the way the team is playing.

"I haven't spoken to SARU about it, but I would be interested to hear what they have to say when they hear I'm interested."

SARU boss Regan Hoskins said the matter of a director of coaching would be on the agenda at a meeting in Johannesburg on Friday.

De Villiers has faced more criticism from the South African media.

"If ever there was a powder keg about to explode it is the Springbok camp where on centre stage is a passionate but misguided coach who doggedly refuses to concede that he has got it wrong," Mike Greenaway wrote in The Mercury.

"You have players who are privately seething and on the point of rebellion ... these guys are fed up with being led on a wild goose chase.

"It has been reported that (Springboks captain) Victor Matfield was given three different game plans by the three coaches in the set-up."

As if de Villiers didn't have enough on his plate, he is expected to be hauled over the coals when he meets the International Rugby Board's referees boss Paddy O'Brien in Johannesburg.

The IRB were angered by de Villiers' public criticism of Australian referee Matt Goddard after South Africa's loss to the All Blacks in Cape Town two weeks ago and by Matfield's constant questioning of the referee during the game.

The embattled coach, though, found one ally in Times columnist Simnikiwe Xabanisa, who praised de Villiers for naming at least five black players in each of his Test teams.

"The lack of fuss with which this has been accepted shows that de Villiers has liberated us from evaluating players on anything other than their playing credentials," Xabanisa wrote.

"And for a public more obsessed with what divides us as opposed to what unites us, this is a step forward."

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