Umaga gets one more year to revive the Blues

AUCKLAND BLUES coach Tana Umaga has been given another year to turn the struggling Super Rugby team around, signing a contract extension that will keep him in charge until the end of the 2019 season. The former All Blacks captain

has been unable to improve the Blues’ fortunes since arriving in 2016 and they are bottom of the NZ conference, with three wins from 11 matches this season.

Blues CEO Michael Redman said the team’s board was not satisfied with current performances but did not believe the answer was a new head coach.

“The Board believes there are positive improvements taking place at all levels at the club, and that Tana still has a contribution to make,” Redman said yesterday.

“Changing head coach now would mean we throw out three years of hard-earned experience and starting again which we believe is the wrong thing to do.

“At the same time, the expected shifts in on-field performance are yet to be achieved and we are examining every aspect of team selection, preparation and support as our fans would expect.

“The players support Tana’s plan and we feel we are close to unlocking the true potential of this group.”

While Umaga has been retained, he will have a new assistant coach in former All Blacks flyhalf Leon McDonald for the 2019 season. The pair previously combined to coach New Zealand’s under-20 team to the World Championship in 2015.

MacDonald, a former assistant coach at the Crusaders, was capped 56 times for the All Blacks from 2000-08 and is currently head coach of provincial side Tasman Mako.

“We really gelled together with the successful Under 20s team and he has a fantastic coaching record already,” Umaga said of McDonald. “I am sure he is going to bring a lot to this club going forward,” he added. “Believe me, no one at the Blues right now is happy with where we are at, but everyone has bought in to our plan, believes in it and works so hard every day to perform.”

The Blues, three-times champions in the competition’s first decade, have fallen on hard times and have not made the playoffs since 2011 under Pat Lam, John Kirwan and now Umaga.

With only 17 points this season, 14 behind the fourth-placed Chiefs in New Zealand, they are all but out of the playoffs already. – Reuters RUSSIA have qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup after Romania – who had initially secured the slot – Spain and Belgium were docked points for repeatedly using ineligible players during the qualifying competition, World Rugby said on Tuesday.

After a “remodelling” of the qualification process, Russia emerged top to advance to next year’s tournament in Japan. It will be their second appearance following 2011 in New Zealand when they lost all four pool games.

Germany, who have never been in a World Cup, now have another chance as they are promoted to face Portugal in a playoff, though the winners face a daunting final step with a two-leg playoff against Samoa.

The winner on aggregate will qualify for Japan 2019 in Pool A, alongside the hosts, Ireland, Scotland and Russia. The loser will still have a chance of progress via the repechage competition in November.

Tuesday’s announcement is the latest twist to a complicated and controversial series of matches as, following an investigation by the independent Judicial and Disputes committee, the three nations were docked five match points for each ineligible player used.

Belgium were found to have fielded five ineligible players and were docked 30 points (plus a suspended fine of £125 000).

Spain used Mathieu Belie and Bastien Fuster, who have both previously played for France Under-20s, in eight qualification matches, leading to a 40-point deduction and a £50 000 suspended fine.

Romania had one ineligible player, Sione Faka’osilea, who has played for Tonga Sevens. They were given a £100 000 suspended fine and their 30 docked points overturned their World Cup qualification.

Romania said they would seek to overturn the committee’s ruling. – Reuters