Sack race isn’t a long-term solution
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper is under the gun. His side is 0-3 and next up are the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Bulls and Jaguares, the last two on the road.
Cooper has thus far avoided the dreaded ‘vote of confidence’ from the board but his CEO Mike Collins has moved to placate unhappy fans.
Careful, here, New Zealand. Sacking the coach might seem like the answer but once that genie is out of the bottle it will be impossible to get back in.
Yes, this is an era of instant gratification.
And yes, the Chiefs were very un-Chiefs like in losing to the Sunwolves last weekend.
It may even be the case that Chiefs players haven’t always felt the coach’s communication has been the best.
But this isn’t just about the Chiefs, it’s about protecting the Kiwi culture of backing coaches through troubled times.
It’s something that has served New Zealand rugby very well.
English rugby appears to be moving in the opposite direction, where the dominant English Premier League has made sacking coaches seem the rule, rather than the exception.
Aaron Mauger has already been though the sack race at Leicester, who are now on their fourth coach in two years. They are ninth in the English Premiership.
But it’s not the New Zealand way and long may that continue.
Here are some other New Zealand coaches who have been under pressure during their careers: Sir Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, to name but a few.
And what of Jamie Joseph? Did he not deserve the sack at the Highlanders after a terrible campaign in 2013?
A couple of years later he was lifting the Super Rugby title and at the end of this year he could well be a very credible All Blacks coaching candidate.
It is not easy arguing for patience when the natural urge for bloodlust is so strong.
The problem is: once you succumb to it where do you draw the line?
Do all coaches become unsafe after a bad month or two?
If you go down that path you will get coaches who are coaching to avoid the axe – being able to think no more than one weekend ahead when they all need to keep an eye on the horizon, developing the players for the following year.
There are problems at the Chiefs, no doubt.
They have lost a bit of edge, particularly in the pack where they are usually so tough.
But an old line – ‘‘What makes good coaches? Good players’’ – is also at play.
They have lost Charlie Ngatai, Liam Messam and Sam Cane, effectively, all at once and those three were the heart and soul of the place.
In week one they were without three No 10s – the McKenzie brothers and Tiaan Falcon – and their best player of last year, Solomon Alaimalo is yet to play a game.
But the broader picture is that New Zealand rugby has been successful at plotting a steady course when it comes to coaches.
By all means get the appointment process right in the first place but once coaches are brought in then back them to see out the job.
That stability model may not be perfect but New Zealand’s success over the past decade would suggest it’s working.