Bourke puts ‘Can’ back in Canterbury

The smiles are back, as is the freeflowing rugby Canterbury were renowned for before the turgid 2020 and 2021 seasons.

So, what’s changed for the redand-blacks outside the obvious – the departure of co-coaches Reuben Thorne and Mark Brown?

‘‘It’s a great question,’’ head coach Marty Bourke said this week.

The first-year head coach is well-equipped to answer the question. After all, he worked under Thorne and Brown last year, when they scratched out five wins during an underwhelming season.

It followed them missing out on the playoffs in 2020 for the first time since 2003, before an extensive review last year resulted in the pair being shown the door.

But Bourke didn’t just survive, he successfully applied for the head coach role after the union made it clear the co-coaching model would be binned.

Four months since the former Bay of Plenty attack coach was named coach, the contrast from the past two years to this year couldn’t be more prominent.

Gone are the clunky and disjointed performances, replaced by a side playing the type of rugby the 14-times champions produced enroute to titles between 2015-2017.

That’s led to seven wins from eight games, a competition-leading 44 tries and 324 points scored (next best is North Harbour with 36 tries and 289 points), and top spot in the evens conference sealed with two games to play – against Auckland in Christchurch tonight, and Otago in Dunedin next week.

‘‘The easiest way I can explain it is Canterbury, whether it be Canterbury Rugby or the Crusaders, is shrouded with an inherited burden of success, and for me that burden sometimes used to weigh us down rather than allow us to flourish,’’ Bourke said.

‘‘If you get the right man wearing the jersey, when they put the jersey on it shouldn’t weigh them down, it should be like a cape on superman, make them stronger.’’

Bourke, who is assisted by Alex Robertson, Craig Dunlea and Canterbury and Crusaders stalwart Matt Todd, won’t hear a bad word about Thorne and Brown, blokes he called ‘‘two of the greatest men’’ he’s seen involved in rugby.

They taught him plenty, he said. As did the harsh lessons Canterbury were dealt during last year’s campaign.

Canterbury are also benefiting from the maturation of young players such as Fergus Burke, Sam Darry and Dominic Gardiner, and the veteran leadership of former England halfback Willi Heinz.

‘‘All I’ve done is outline what the vision is early, and then try and reclaim what I believe the Canterbury identity is.

‘‘We talk about a Canterbury man, but nobody could tell me what he was. So we delved into that a little bit, and this is where we are. Part of it is around us enjoying every day, we have an identity we are firm on, one where we come to work loving what you do, and being grateful for what you do because not many people get the opportunity to do it.’’

Up for grabs again

A week after snatching the Ranfurly Shield from Hawke’s Bay, Wellington will have to fend off what’s sure to be a stiff challenge from Waikato if they are to extend their first tenure since 2009.

Should the Lions, white-hot on the back of five straight wins, rebuff the Mooloos’ challenge, they will keep the Log o’ Wood over summer.

However, that’s easier said than done against the reigning champions, stung by coughing up their first game (against Otago) of the season.

Waikato will be cheered along by Bay of Plenty, who will get a shot at the Shield on October 2 if the Mooloos prevail.