Jake White and the entire Springbok management look set to lose their jobs as the country's most powerful rugby unions turn against them.
The call for White's head has come from the Blue Bulls, the most powerful rugby union in South Africa, and is likely to be supported by Western Province.
This latest crisis to hit the Bok coach comes as he prepares the team for their test against England at Twickenham on Saturday and after the team's loss to Ireland.
The Blue Bulls have called on Jake White and the Springbok management to resign after a vote of no confidence was tabled against the beleaguered SA Rugby coach.
For the first time in South African rugby the President's Council is poised to force the SA Rugby board to fire a Springbok rugby coach, with the Bulls taking the initiative through a unanimous decision passed at their annual meeting on Tuesday night.
The motion of no confidence against White and his management was proposed by the Blue Bulls Old Players Association, an influential lobby that includes former Springboks such as Frik du Preez and Piet Uys, and carried the support of all the clubs in Pretoria. Blue Bulls president Boet Fick said the motion would be delivered to the South African Rugby Union (Saru) on Thursday and tabled for a vote at next Thursday's President's Council meeting.
"The Blue Bulls want to express its shock and unhappiness with the performance of our national rugby team, the Springboks," the motion reads.
The union places the blame squarely on the shoulders of White and his management team.
"In the interests of SA Rugby these gentlemen are requested to resign with immediate effect. The union no longer sees its way clear to support these officials with the coaching and selection of teams and are convinced that if they do resign with immediate effect, then there is a prospect of competing with reasonable success at the World Cup in 2007."
Western Province chief executive Theuns Roodman, said the matter had not yet been discussed in the Newlands boardroom, "but it is likely that we will support the Bulls".
The motion is also likely to carry the support of the Valke, with the union's chairperson, Guy Kebble, saying on Thursday: "We are not happy with what Jake White and his management team have done with the Springboks. We will likely support any motion for a change in structure, including that of his job as national coach."
Sharks chief executive Brian van Zyl said the issue had also not been discussed by the rugby hierarchy in Durban, but if the President's Council supported the Bulls and voted to axe White, then the SA Rugby board would be under "huge pressure" to comply.
Van Zyl, who was at Lansdowne Road on Saturday watching the Springboks crashing to a record 32-15 defeat to Ireland, said the reaction of South Africans who had travelled to Dublin to watch the test was punctuated by "extreme anger and disappointment".
The major unions in South Africa are incensed that White withdrew all 24 contracted Springboks from Currie Cup rugby this season, leaving the provinces to carry the load.
But then White left star players, notably Os du Randt, Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Percy Montgomery and Breyton Paulse, at home for the end of year tour.
And in a year where South Africa has won only four of their 10 test matches, two against Scotland at home, the relationship between White and the Blue Bulls in particular has been volatile. During the away leg of the Tri-Nations, Bulls players were known to be upset at White for criticising their head coach Heyneke Meyer in the media.
The Bulls players were also angry that White chose to play scrumhalf Ricky Januarie ahead of Du Preez in the opening Tri-Nations test against Australia, which South Africa lost by a record 49-0.
In reaction to the public clamour for White to resign, Saru deputy president Mike Stofile said he was not surprised. However, he said he was looking at the matter positively and would comment soon.
Saru president Oregan Hoskins, one of White's few supporters, was avoiding calls from the media on Wednesday on White's future.
However, Jacques van der Westhuyzen reports from Bath that Jake White is unconcerned about reports that his job is on the line.
"I can't worry about those sort of things," he said on Wednesday. "I have a job to do on the field. We have a new batch of players here with us and for our World Cup plans it's important that we increase our depth.
"The decision to rest key players for this tour was taken jointly by me, the board of SA Rugby and the review committee at a meeting earlier this season. Also, just before the Rustenburg Test I had a meeting with former coaches and key role players (among them Nick Mallett, Carel du Plessis, Rudolf Straeuli, Harry Viljoen and Naas Botha) and it was decided we must do whatever we can to create opportunities for all our players.
"This tour was always going to be about creating those opportunities," White said. He said "all coaches are appointed to be fired later on".