Coaches revel in shared respect
WARATAHS coach Daryl Gibson and his Highlanders counterpart Aaron Mauger just can’t seem to escape each other.
Whether by accident or design, their worlds keep colliding.
They’ve got history, a long history, but theirs is one bonded by shared experiences and deep mutual respect.
Tonight, they’ll square off as opponents, both desperate to win, both plotting to outsmart each other, but when the game’s over, they’ll go back to being friends, just as they always have.
“I’ve known Aaron since we were kids. We went to the same school,” Gibson told Sydney’s The Saturday Telegraph. “The great thing about rugby, regardless of what level you play at, is that your teammates are always your mates.”
The pair first crossed paths at Christchurch Boys High, one of New Zealand’s great rugby nurseries. Seven years older, Gibson was a senior when Mauger enrolled at the school, but their shared passion for rugby meant they moved in the same circles.
Gibson was a teenage prodigy, picked to play for Canterbury while he was still in school.
Mauger watched and studied Gibson, partly because they both played inside centre, but also because he admired his approach to the game.
When Mauger finished school, he teamed up with Gibson at the Crusaders, winning Super Rugby titles together in 2000 and 2002. They also played together for the All Blacks and when they finished their careers in New Zealand, both ended up at Leicester.
“Gibbo’s a top bloke and was an awesome mentor to me,” Mauger said. “I was really lucky in my early years to work under someone in my position who had all those values so I really learnt a lot from him
“I was probably the guy who was always snapping at his heels but guys like Gibbo really helped nurse me into the player I became through those years by being good role models and good people.”
Despite their strong ties, Gibson and Mauger often found themselves competing for the same position. Mauger started at inside centre in the 2002 Super Rugby final while Gibson was on the bench.
Mauger made his test debut for the All Blacks in 2001. The following year, Gibson played the last of his 19 tests, while Mauger went on to make 77 appearances.
“I was in the sort of position where Aaron eventually took my place and rightly so,” Gibson said. “Even when he was a kid, I just remember him as incredibly talented, mature for his age and a real leader.”
It’s no surprise both turned their hands to coaching after their playing careers ended, inspired by the likes of Steve Hansen, Robbie Deans and Wayne Smith, who urged them to give something back to the game.