Super Cooper makes all the right moves for Chiefs

Axe Jones for Rennie - English writer

OPINION: How long do you punish a coach for not winning Super Rugby in a previous life?

It’s a question for the New Zealand rugby public in the here and now, and it will be relevant if and when the All Blacks job becomes vacant after the 2019 World Cup.

Colin Cooper and Ian Foster are the coaches to whom it applies. The charges against both men in the court of the public opinion are similar: Cooper had the Hurricanes for eight years but could not deliver them a Super Rugby title; Foster ran the Chiefs for eight years without a championship, and then his replacement Dave Rennie won Former England first-five Stuart Barnes has called for former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie to replace under-pressure England coach Eddie Jones after their disappointing Six Nations campaign. Barnes, writing in a column for

said Jones would have sacked himself as England coach if he was in charge of the Rugby

titles back-to-back.

New Zealand Rugby has obviously moved on - the high regard in which it holds both men can be seen in the posts they hold.

But shifting the needle on Football Union after finishing fifth place with a record of two wins, three defeats.

Although Barnes said the ‘‘obvious name’’ to replace Jones is Rob Baxter, who led the Exeter Chiefs to the 2016-17 English Premiership, he described Glasgow Warriors coach Rennie as the ‘‘better bet’’.

public opinion can be difficult. Cooper’s appointment to replace Rennie was met with what might diplomatically be called measured optimism.

However, Cooper’s start with

‘‘Formerly of the Chiefs, he has an outstanding record of success and an ability to quickly bring the best from players, something that England need.’’

‘‘Rennie was my preference to replace [Stuart] Lancaster; he is even more equipped for the role with half a season of European rugby under his belt.’’

the Chiefs has been quietly impressive.

If they win in Tokyo this weekend they will be well placed in the New Zealand conference, despite being handed a tough start and a brutal injury list. Also, they have tucked away Damian McKenzie for another three years. It’s a fine start and taking over from a popular, successful coach such as Rennie is fraught with difficulties.

Cooper is an undemonstrative type. Try and bowl him a ‘short ball’ question about those All Blacks camps and he reacts like Kane Williamson on the way to a careful century.

But if you look at two of the tools available to coaches selection and the ability to change the course of the game - Cooper has used them adroitly.

Who thought that the Chiefs would move McKenzie back to No 15 so promptly when fullbacks Charlie Ngatai and Shaun Stevenson suffered injuries? Not many, because of the belief Cooper would be too amenable to the desires of the All Blacks.

So much for that theory. He has put the Chiefs first, giving young Tiaan Falcon the No 10 jersey, and it has been a smart move.

Then, despite the Chiefs all over the shop in the first half against the Bulls on Friday, they managed to turn things around at halftime. Apparently, the changing room was an oasis of calm. Cooper doesn’t give the impression of being a shouter. That can be a good thing.

Foster appears not dissimilar. I have yet to see one of his halftime interviews during All Blacks games where his heart rate gets higher than about 50 beats per minute.

It will surely serve him well as far as his future ambitions go.

Clearly, in that space, Joe Schmidt is the flavour of the month. He deserves that praise. His work with Ireland also gives him that international experience that NZ Rugby might find so irresistible should they need to go to the market.

Apparently, Foster is also nervous about that gap on his resume. But for a lot of New Zealanders that is not the issue it’s his lack of a championship at the Chiefs.

That is a tough appraisal. Coaches learn, improve and develop.

Besides, Cooper is showing this year there comes a time when you have to draw a line under the past, and your own preconceptions, and judge firmly on the present.