Feek packs down for ABs
Ian Foster’s new scrum guru says he’ll do plenty of listening before putting his own touch on the set piece. Marc Hinton reports.
As befits his trade, new All Blacks scrum coach Greg Feek has always been a head down-bum up sort of operator. That won’t change just because he’s landed pretty much his dream job. Feek didn’t mind admitting it felt like all his Christmases had come at once when he was officially unveiled in Auckland this week as part of new All Blacks chief Ian Foster’s coaching team. The 44-year-old has spent the last nine years preparing for this moment, honing his trade in Ireland and, more latterly, Japan, and the emotions were swirling when he was introduced to the nation by Foster.
Feek was proud to wear the All Blacks jersey as a player in 10 tests from 1999 to 2001; and feels a similar mix of excitement, nerves and responsibility over the prospect of being part of the coaching team of arguably the most admired international sports team on the planet.
‘‘It’s a bit like the ultimate Christmas present when you’re little . . . you know you’re not going to get it but you wish you could,’’ Feek told the Sunday Star-Times. ‘‘I’ve always had that Kiwi mentality of keep your head down and let your work do the talking, and looking back on that now it obviously holds you in good stead because I’ve done things pretty well in Ireland and to get shoulder-tapped for this was pretty exciting for me.
‘‘There was one point seven or eight years ago I saw it as a possibility and thought it was something I could keep an eye on. But it wasn’t something I thought about that often because having goals as a coach can be pretty tough as you’ve got to be pretty dynamic with how you work.’’
Good things come to those who work hard at their craft. Feek can now testify to that.
The former Taranaki, Canterbury, Tasman (briefly) Crusaders, Blues (briefly), All Blacks and New Zealand Ma¯ ori prop gravitated pretty quickly into coaching once his playing career ended in 2006.
He served two years as Hurricanes forwards coach (2008-09) before heading for a role with Irish club Leinster in 2009. Before long he had been co-opted as Ireland scrum coach (2011-19), with the Kiwi bringing up 100 tests with the Emerald Isle at the recent World Cup.
The last two years he has complemented his role under Joe Schmidt with Ireland with duties in Japan. Clearly he has impressed astute observers, because when Foster came to put together the support crew he knew he needed to win this All Blacks job, Feek’s name was top of his list to replace departing legend Mike Cron.
Luckily for Foster, and the All Blacks, Feek was at a point where New Zealand was calling pretty loudly. Two years previous his wife and two boys, aged 11 and 13, had shifted back to Christchurch to get the family settled back into their home country. Feek was now ready to join them on a permanent basis.
‘‘It was a huge honour to work with the Irish union, but this is my home country, this is the All Blacks who have been one of the best teams in the world for so long,’’ he reflects. ‘‘Talking to sponsors over there [in Ireland], massive companies always saw the All Blacks as one of the best organisations in the world.
‘‘Now to be in the inner sanctum and be part of it, it’s hard to describe but it is a privilege, not just for me, but for my whole family as well.’’
Feek is well aware of the responsibility that rests on his shoulders. And the opportunity.
‘‘There’s a massive legacy the All Blacks have around the scrum and Mike Cron has had a huge influence on that,’’ he notes. ‘‘For me to come in and have that IP as well as the IP I have, I’m very lucky, and then to be able build on that going forward is so exciting.’’
Feek admits it’s a little daunting to step into the boots of a legend like Cron, but says he’ll be soaking up the knowledge of his predecessor as much as he can as he settles into the job.
‘‘He is a legend. You can see looking at the Super franchises how much influence he’s had there with their coaches. I haven’t had any of that for nine years, and I’m someone who learns a lot by doing. You can have all the theory, but to actually get out there on your own doing it is what I’ve found most beneficial. I’ve already had conversations with Crono and I’ll definitely be having some more.’’
In terms of the All Blacks scrum, Feek inherits a pretty well-oiled machine. He’s well aware his role, which he hopes to grow under the auspices of new forwards boss John Plumtree, is to tweak and manipulate rather than to reinvent.
‘‘The All Blacks scrum is phenomenal,’’ added Feek. ‘‘I want to honour what’s been done in the past and over the next wee while I’ll be getting to know some of the senior guys and will get some ideas. But I’m not coming in to reinvent the wheel. I’ll do a lot of listening, a lot of homework, look at a lot of video and I’ve definitely got some things to throw in there.’’
Feek says he’s kept on his toes by rugby’s constant tweaking of scrum laws which mean the power set piece is an ever evolving one. ‘‘As soon as they put a new law in everyone tries to think of ways of manipulating it as well, so there’s always something to work on.’’
Foster is hugely excited about this group he has assembled. He feels they all bring some freshness to the table and their own strengths. But he also sees a compatibility among the group that will be important as they forge the identity of this new era of All Blacks.
Feek, for one, cannot wait to get started. Next July, when he’ll finally get his hands on that All Blacks scrum, seems like an eternity away.