Barbarians coaches Ronan O'Gara and Scott Robertson last year. Photo / Getty
Barbarians coaches Ronan O'Gara and Scott Robertson last year. Photo / Getty
OPINION:
My colleague Gregor Paul raised a valid point earlier this week when he asked how we’d got to a point where New Zealand Rugby only have two candidates for the All Blacks job once again.
It’s worth thinking whether New Zealand Rugby is being ultra-patriotic,or on the flipside, elitist, by only seeking a New Zealander as head coach and a coaching staff of compatriots. Unwritten rule or otherwise, it’s a closed-door policy that fails to enhance the All Blacks.
If the aspiration is to be the best team in the world, shouldn’t that also be reflected in the coach? Coaching and management are not governed by any World Rugby eligibility rules in terms of birthright, so a ‘best person for the job’ policy should apply rather than a ‘Kiwi knows best’ attitude.
It’s been perceived that New Zealand Rugby values “overseas experience” as a crucial quality in an All Blacks coach, believing what a candidate has learned from an overseas system, players, cultures and other coaches, will equip them for the choppy seas an All Blacks boss can face.
But that theory doesn’t seem to extend to foreign coaches who have forged their careers in those set-ups. Mick Byrne might be the only man in recent memory who has prized his way into the All Blacks set-up without having a black passport adorned in a fern.
Former All Black skills coach Mick Byrne. Photo / Getty
Super Rugby has seen the odd assistant go through, with former Irish first-five Ronan O’Gara spending a couple of years as a Crusaders assistant and Englishman Richard Whiffin pitching in at the Highlanders this year.
Perhaps a foreign assistant coach as a sounding board or point of difference could be the difference between glory or failure. Eddie Jones was hailed as a key cog in the 2007 Springboks triumph alongside Jake White, John Mitchell played his part in 2019 as England made the final and former referee Nigel Owens has been linked with a coach-style role for the Springboks in their title defence later this year.
New Zealand Rugby has a remit and a duty to best promote, nurture and employ New Zealand players and coaches, but it’s a professional game.
Their cricket, football and league counterparts — while having a shallower pool of local coaching talent to pick from — have learned sometimes going afield is the best option for coaching a national side.
New Zealand’s coaches have been in demand around the globe for years and have exceptional rugby IP, but keeping the process closed isn’t best practice.
This isn’t necessarily even about the current race. Jamie Joseph and Scott Robertson have strong CVs and are respected coaches.
But what if in 2027, Andy Farrell — who has already coached against his motherland and will again go up against his son this weekend — was a proven winner and decided he wanted to have a go at leading the world’s most famous rugby team.
The Kiwi rugby brain might win out, but it should be an open race.
