Mauger, Hammett jostle for top job

Aaron Mauger or Mark Hammett? Highlanders fans don’t have to wait much longer to find out who their team’s new head coach is.

Appointing Japan-bound Tony Brown’s replacement was always the top priority when the Highlanders’ 2017 campaign ended last weekend, and chief executive Roger Clark told Stuff a decision was due by the end of next week.

In what is shaping as one of rugby’s worst-kept secrets, former All Blacks and Crusaders midfielder Mauger is expected to beat out fellow Cantabrian Hammett for the top job.

While the Highlanders are about to start advertising for a defence coach to replace Scott McLeod, they didn’t slap an advert in the papers for the head coaching gig.

‘‘We went out and did an extensive search for a new coach once we knew Browny was leaving [last year],’’ Clark said.

‘‘Hammett and Mauger were the replacements, so one of them was always going to be the head coach once Scott McLeod left, and I had a pretty good idea that was a possibility a long time ago.

‘‘So we’ve always been pretty comfortable with those two there and it was just a matter of working out what roles they would fill. That’s why we’ve only decided that it’s a defence coach we’re going to be looking for.’’

Not looking for external candidates meant World Cup winning New Zealand under-20s coach Crag Philpott, who told Stuff last month he was keen to coach the franchise, didn’t get a chance to put his name forward.

Mauger signed on as an assistant coach in May, about a month before the All Blacks confirmed McLeod would replace defence coach Wayne Smith after the Rugby Championship wraps up.

Hammett, who has just completed his first year as the Highlanders’ forwards coach, and Mauger are both contracted until the end of the 2019 season.

Clark wants his new defence coach appointed by the end of August or early September.

Whoever nabs the role will join Mauger, Hammett, performance development coach Jon Preston and assistant forwards coach Clarke Dermody in the coaching team. Clark doubted Preston or Dermody would step up as defence coach, but noted their roles could yet change next season.

One glaring candidate to replace McLeod is Brown’s younger brother and Otago head coach Cory Brown, who has indicated he was interested in making the step up.

Brown worked under Philpott as the defence coach during the recent under-20s world championship triumph and is entering his third year in charge of Otago’s Mitre 10 Cup team.