Coaching Candidates
Jamie Joseph
By cardiffsteve
April 14 2014
The NZ press is reporting that Cardiff Blues will be over there later this month to interview contenders for the poison chal... ahem... vacant coaching job.
Tana Umaga seems out of the running now that he's announced he's staying with Counties Manukau for the foreseeable future. Leaving three names the Kiwi press is linking us with:
Mark Hammett
Current coach of the Hurricanes, and has already announced his intention to leave at the end of the current season.
Opinion in New Zealand seems split. Many seem to think he was promoted to the job too early. Others credit him with managing a transition period and creating a new "culture" at the Hurricanes.
Jamie Joseph
Current coach of the Highlanders, out of contract at the end of this season although he may yet stay.
Previously coached NZ Maori and Wellington with some success. He managed to get the Highlanders - never the strongest of the Kiwi sides - to achieve some notable results but their performances have fallen away again the past two seasons.
Wayne Pivac
Current coach of Auckland. A little older than the other two and has been coaching since the 90s.
Has never coached at Super Rugby level but had two stints as Auckland coach and won trophies there. He's also coached at international level with Fiji.
It wouldnt surprise me if others are being interviewed.
Bearing in mind that Taranaki legend Paul Tito is representing us in NZ, perhaps Colin Cooper of Taranaki is another name thats been looked at.
Of the three coaches mentioned, Pivac is perhaps the most experienced, "safe pair of hands" candidate.
Joseph and Hammett are younger coaches with mixed records... however both have been coaching at a higher level.
A determining factor might well be how open the coach will be to working with Dale McIntosh and Paul John. At this point it would be a surprise if the board choose to dispense with them completely.
You have to wonder - given the last two performances - if Phil Davies had left earlier, would we now be looking for an overseas coach or might John and McIntosh have taken the chance to demonstrate that they're perfectly capable of doing the job?
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Quote:capsgon
Jamie Joseph
He'd be your choice?
Quote:
I don't watch much super rugby in all honesty so don't know what he's like as a coach, how he sets his teams up to play. Are they attack minded playing flowing rugby, or more pragmatic type games? Big on discipline? Bringing players through and moulding them into a team or signing big superstars?
Quote:CaerphillyBluesfanQuote:
I don't watch much super rugby in all honesty so don't know what he's like as a coach, how he sets his teams up to play. Are they attack minded playing flowing rugby, or more pragmatic type games? Big on discipline? Bringing players through and moulding them into a team or signing big superstars?
His side lost a couple of high profile players (Nonu was one) and the talk was that he forced them out because he thought their egos were too big for the team. So that maybe gives a clue to his personality.
Kiwis also say he's overfond of the "Crusaders style" which I think basically means playing very wide but very structured. So great to watch when it works but not so great when it doesnt.
He's an ex hooker and started as a forwards coach. They're saying the Hurricanes pack has started to really work well this season.
I think the criticism of him in NZ is basically that he was promoted too early and spent seasons reworking his side and losing some big names with as yet no massive rewards. Although they're doing reasonably well so far this season.
Quote:cardiffsteveQuote:CaerphillyBluesfanQuote:
I don't watch much super rugby in all honesty so don't know what he's like as a coach, how he sets his teams up to play. Are they attack minded playing flowing rugby, or more pragmatic type games? Big on discipline? Bringing players through and moulding them into a team or signing big superstars?
His side lost a couple of high profile players (Nonu was one) and the talk was that he forced them out because he thought their egos were too big for the team. So that maybe gives a clue to his personality.
Kiwis also say he's overfond of the "Crusaders style" which I think basically means playing very wide but very structured. So great to watch when it works but not so great when it doesnt.
He's an ex hooker and started as a forwards coach. They're saying the Hurricanes pack has started to really work well this season.
I think the criticism of him in NZ is basically that he was promoted too early and spent seasons reworking his side and losing some big names with as yet no massive rewards. Although they're doing reasonably well so far this season.
Cheers Steve, sounds like he could be a perfect fit for us then. Mould us into a team, get our pack playing even better than they've finished the season and look to play some exciting stuff a long the way.
