No margin for error for Wellington

‘‘I'll be straight up and down.’’

Success or failure for Chris Gibbes will measured by one match.

Either the Wellington Lions make this season’s provincial championship final and win promotion, or they don’t.

The team’s new coach has arrived in town talking a good game. History suggests Gibbes can coach one too, having won a Ranfurly Shield at Waikato and done well with Welsh club Ospreys.

But there’s no margin for error here. It’s an embarrassment for a union of Wellington’s stature to languish among provincial rugby’s also-rans and it can’t be allowed to continue.

‘‘I understand that and I think that’s a fair statement,’’ Gibbes said.

Provincial rugby isn’t what it was. Typically teams are populated by boys doing their high-performance apprenticeship and older blokes who are contractually obliged to play, but whose interest ended when Super Rugby did.

‘‘My philosophy is it’s about choice. They’ve got a choice; the players, everyone. They’ve got a choice. They choose their attitude and they choose how they want to go about it,’’ said Gibbes.

‘‘I’ll be straight up and down, no bullshit. We don’t have time for that, I don’t believe in that and, mate, if that’s not what you want to do, there’s plenty of other guys out there that would give their left leg to be in the position.

‘‘At the end of the day, you choose. Make the choice.’’

Flanker Brad Shields will captain the team again.

A star of the Hurricanes team, Shields’ standards - on and off the field - are impeccable and he’ll drag along anyone whose motivation might be flagging.

He and Gibbes should suit each other. Around them, the specialist coaches are Andre Bell (backs) and Rodney So’oialo (forwards).

Bell was a good Wellington assistant, under Jamie Joseph, but battled when he was promoted to the top job.

So’oialo’s coaching career is in its infancy, having been a decorated Lions and Hurricanes player and captain.

‘‘He’s gone and won a Pro 12 with Connacht [as backs coach under Pat Lam], in a competition that is tough. I like what his philosophy is, rugby-wise, so Andre was a really good match for me,’’ Gibbes said.

‘‘Rodney, being straight, one of the things from the board was they want me to develop Wellington-based coaches, so guys like Rodney, Dion Waller; those are the type of guys they want to see coming through, which I think is exciting.’’