Former All Blacks winger John Kirwan has been appointed as coach of the New Zealand Super Rugby franchise the Blues for 2013.
Pat Lam has been sacked after presiding over a horror season when the Auckland-based team managed just four wins from 16 games.
The Blues’ best finish under Lam’s guidance was fourth place last year. They finished seventh in 2010, and ninth the previous year.
Kirwan enjoyed an illustrious career on the wing for the All Blacks before moving to coaching which has seen him in charge of Italy and Japan in RWC campaigns.
Kirwan scored record of 67 tries for New Zealand including 35 in 63 Test matches. He is remembered for a fantastic try in the opening match of the 1987 RWC against Italia (see below the try against Italia and some of his tries).
1987 Kirwan score against Italia
He also scored a brilliant try in South Africa’s return match in 1992 (See below).
Kirwan against South Africa in 1992
He switched codes in 1995 and played for the Auckland Warriors, but returned to union a season later and finished his playing career in Japan with NEC.
Kirwan’s international coaching career began in Italy in 2002, but that stint ended after the team’s winless 2005 Six Nations campaign.
He began coaching Japan in 2007 and saw some success, however a disastrous 2011 Rugby World Cup ended his time with the Cherry Blossoms.
Not a particularly stunning record as a coach and one cannot help but wonder what make the selection panel think he’ll do better than Pat Lam with the Auckland blues.
His battle with depression and subsequent work in raising depression awareness saw him appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2007.
This selection might be a relief for the Sharks because Plumtree was apparently also on the short list.
Kirwan is rightly talking positive, but I’ve got my doubts he has served proper apprenticeship.
“International coach” looks good on a CV, but sorry, when it is Italy and Japan the step up to Super XV is huge. Heineken Cup I can wear, as long as the coach has a good grounding in the technicalities of the game so that they can adapt to the differing style of Super XV.
However, Kirwan played in a position (wing) that is far removed from the dark, confined spaces of the front row. You can delegate/bring in a certain amount of expertise, and Kirwan will no doubt be mentored by his former coach/the guy who discovered him as an 18 year old playing 3rd grade club football, John Hart – a master of the “corporate structure” approach to running a rugby team.
However, the two NZ outside backs who became great all-round coaches (Laurie Mains, Bryan Williams) did years of necessary apprenticeship at lower levels. Kirwan can’t match that.
The question also remains that the coaching role is not the main problem with the Blues. Instead it is further up the feeding chain at a board/CEO level. Both Andy Dalton and Garry Whetton (1987 All Black RWC team mates of Kirwan’s) say this appointment wasn’t about “jobs for mates”. No one believes that.
My prediction: Continual disappointment and failure to reach their potential for the Blues, until there is a root and branch reform of the back office. Pat Lam had to go, but he wasn’t the essential source of the under-performance.
I also have my doubts whether he true he really served his apprenticeship. The problem with the blues are as you’ve stated wider/deeper than coaching (PatLam). I have little hope that things will improve in that franchise. Graeme Henry might be the solution. I reckon appoint him with an understudy with potential who can take over in a year or two. The old boys club in the management group will have to be sorted is my feeling from the outside as well. You are much closer to the pulse so I find your remarks in this regard interesting confirmation of my gut feeling about this issue.
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