Kirwan to take backs reins as recruiting fails
SIR JOHN Kirwan is set to assume a more hands-on role next season as concerns grow about the Blues’ struggles to recruit quality coaches.
The under-pressure franchise faced a battle to replace the highprofile departures of World Cupwinning mentor Sir Graham Henry and All Blacks skills coach Mick Byrne.
Those challenges now appear magnified.
The Sunday Star-Times understands the Blues first shoulder tapped, in succession, former All Blacks Tana Umaga and Leon MacDonald to fill the backs role, only to be knocked back by both.
Counties Manukau coach Umaga is eyeing a possible position with the Singapore-based Super Rugby team, should they gain inclusion in 2016, and wasn’t interested in an assistant role. MacDonald, the respected Tasman and New Zealand under-20s assistant coach, also declined.
Blues chief executive Michael Redman said: ‘‘People should have confidentiality in these processes so I’m not going to speculate.’’
The rejections from Umaga and MacDonald highlight the Blues’ challenges to attract preferred candidates. Former Hawke’s Bay and Newcastle coach Peter Russell was also interviewed, but Kirwan is instead expected to adopt the overall backs and attack brief and bring in a yet-to-be-announced skills adviser from abroad.
Redman, however, rejected suggestions that problems recruiting coaches had caused tweaking of original plans.
‘‘No, it hasn’t been more BLUES 2015 MANAGEMENT TEAM Sir John Kirwan (backs, attack), Glenn Moore (forwards), Grant Doorey ( defence, exits), Skills coach ( appointment from overseas), Nick White (scrum), Isa Nacewa (mental skills). challenging,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a complex jigsaw we’re putting together. We’ve put the first piece together and we’re finalising the details. There’s been no change of emphasis in that we’re looking for a dedicated backs role.
‘‘The only subtle change is we’ve identified more of a skills focus than previously, so that’s where we are putting our emphasis.’’
Revelations that former Highlanders coach Glenn Moore – this week appointed to oversee the Blues forward pack for the next two years – recently missed out on the North Harbour head coach’s post to Steve Jackson, who was also interviewed for the Blues forwards role, only heightens concerns. Despite being described by one person on the Harbour interview panel as the worst of their three candidates, the Blues opted for Moore over Jackson and Northland coach Derren Witcombe.
The Blues did not consult Harbour, a provincial partner of the franchise, about Moore’s application. Redman also denied it was a poor look for the Blues to select someone who wasn’t wanted by a battling provincial team, which, before this season, had won eight of their last 42 games.
‘‘I don’t know what North Harbour were looking for in the role they advertised,’’ Redman said. ‘‘I know what we were looking for. The panel clearly identified Glenn as being a very strong fit for us.
‘‘We’re really excited to have him as part of the team.’’
In three years (2008-10) at the helm of the Highlanders, Moore won 10 from 39 games – a 25 per cent record. He will also make the return to Super Rugby after leading Heartland side Mid Canterbury for the past two seasons.
‘‘If you’re in a managerial position, they’re all difficult jobs and they’re all stressful,’’ Moore said. ‘‘You’ve got to be up for that. For me every experience is about learning and making you better. I believe today I’ll be a better coach than I was two or three years ago.
‘‘Going back and helping out at Mid Canterbury was a good experience for me. I grew up there. Last year was a really rewarding year. They were a great bunch of guys to work with.’’