Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore says he doesn't hold grudge against Jake White for early Brumbies exit

STEPHEN Moore has no problems with Jake White's decision to quit the Brumbies mid-contract in search of Test coaching roles.

Jake White

STEPHEN Moore has no problems with Jake White's decision to quit the Brumbies mid-contract in search of Test coaching roles.

White announced last week he would leave Canberra and return to South Africa. In a statement released last week, White said it was to be closer to family and to pursue coaching jobs at the "highest possible level."

"Jake was very intent on getting the Wallabies job and when that didn't happen, it was a huge disappointment to him personally," Moore said.

"He has openly stated over a number of years that he wants to win another World Cup ... so he was very intent on getting to do that with the Wallabies. So there's no hiding from the fact he was very disappointed."

White lost out to Ewen McKenzie as the ARU's replacement for Robbie Deans in July.

"Ever since then it felt probably a little bit that he may move on to something else, and that's what has happened," Moore said.

"I am not too sure about everything that went on in terms of the politics there, but I will say is that he has done a tremendous job in rebuilding the club over the last two years, and he has left the club in a much better state than when he took over.

"In the same breath, one of Jake's strengths was surrounding himself with the right people to do a certain job. With Dean Benton - who will another huge loss - and Laurie (Fisher) and Bernie (Stephen Larkham) there as well, as far as the coaching team goes, he had an exceptional unit there."

Moore and White didn't see eye to eye when the South African first took over at the ACT club, and though their relationship strengthened over time, the coach still intervened and denied at least a dozen requests by NewsCorp to interview Moore over the two years.

Asked how their relationship finished up, Moore said: "No dramas there at all."

"He sent me a text before the Test last week (in Cape Town) and wished me good luck," Moore added.

"I completely understand his thinking. For a coach like him, four years at a provincial level is a long time, and probably a lot of people would have said it was a long commitment. I am not sure what his plans were all along, but I am completely comfortable with his decision and my priority is the club and making sure we can move forward now.

"I am confident we can do that but it is going to be a challenge, there's no doubt. It is not just going to be the same as it was this year."

To improve on last season you have to win the competition?

"We have spoken about that at the club," Moore agreed.

"We are going through a big period of change, because we have moved out of our base into a temporary set-up, until our new facility is built.

"We have Damien Marsh in as a new S & C, a few players leaving.

"It is quite a significant period of change but I am confident in the frame works that Jake put in place and the culture that's been developed at the club that we can improve. We certainly can't stand still, otherwise teams will go past us, and that can happen very quickly in rugby."