Blues defence guru open to Welsh offers
ALISTAIR ROGERS was part of the the All Blacks’ coaching team to seal backto-back World Cup glory and has already masterminded a defeat of the British & Irish Lions on their tour of New Zealand.
Now the unheralded Welshman and defence chief at Auckland Blues – who beat the Lions 22-16 on Wednesday – has opened the door for a return home.
Rogers, a former Neath, Aberavon and Ebbw Vale flanker, left Wales for the Southern Hemisphere in 1999 and has since gone on to call it home. He worked with the world’s best side as performance analyst, and is well thought of in the land of the long white cloud.
His rugby brain – which is highly rated by Steve Hansen – would surely be an asset to the game in Wales should he decide to seek pastures new.
Asked what the future holds for him, Rogers told
The Rugby Paper: “I’m really happy with the Blues at the moment, but I wouldn’t rule out anything and if any opportunities arose in Wales or internationally then I’d have to look at it.
“I think you should never say never. I’m still not sure of my end destination, but being the best coach I can be is what drives me forwards.”
Rogers’ career CV is impressive, but despite being born in Maesteg he remains almost unheard of in Wales.
He took up a two-year deal with the Blues after the 2015 World Cup, and isn’t likely to be short of offers should he decide to look away from Eden Park.
Rogers’ knowledge of New Zealand’s national side also gives him an acute sense of where Hansen’s men are at ahead of facing the Lions. After watching his Blues team beat Warren Gatland’s tourists, he remains insistent the men in red have a chance of a Test series win.
He said: “This series is a huge occasion for the All Blacks, it’s a chance for them to lay a marker down. Warren is a smart man and the group he has picked will only gel further.
“Both have special teams, and I think it will be a case of which superman will win.”