There is, presumably, a reason NZF interviewed and initially overlooked Bazeley when searching for Danny Hay’s replacement. Although perhaps applying reason to anything from NZF is assigning too much credit.
After the dog’s breakfast they made of not offering John Herdman the gig, who knows who’s right to lead this bright young generation? But settling for Bazeley would be exactly that.
2) Time to split for Black Caps
It was tough to imagine this Black Caps team involved in a match such as South Africa’s wild win over the West Indies, given in their last 10 T20s they boast an average score of 149.
The Proteas easily chasing down 259 was a freak result, the first T20I with an aggregate exceeding 500.
But it’s undeniably the direction T20 cricket is heading, and the Black Caps as currently constructed may struggle to follow.
Which meant it was refreshing to hear Gary Stead acknowledge the need to split coaching duties across formats in the near future, possibly when his contract expires following this year’s ODI World Cup.
Stead has taken the Black Caps to a semifinal and final at T20 tournaments, but if Kane Williamson’s side stick to what’s worked, they may be left behind.
Hopefully, NZ Cricket make a bold call in the shortest form. Maybe a dashing former batsman, whose mindset and tactical approach accounts for any lack of experience. Anyone know if Baz is busy?
3) Foster (man of) the people
Sport hacks will say they root not for the team or athlete but story. And this country’s scribes will now surely unite in wanting the All Blacks to win the World Cup, not for patriotic feeling but because it’ll be a hell of a yarn.
Funny, too. After the way Ian Foster has been treated — setting aside his questionable competency — it’ll be very funny to watch him walk away on top of the world.
This season will be delicious if, for the first time in his reign, the All Blacks consistently play quality rugby and mount an inexorable march to the Cup.
The creeping awkwardness with every good performance, the players paying glowing tribute to their coach, the nation uniting behind Fozzie, the inevitable knighthood.
That spectre will loom all year and can certainly be called a distraction — there’s a reason most teams don’t opt for lame duck coaches ahead of important assignments. But NZ Rugby have made Logan Roy’s succession plan look seamless.
As for Foster, I just hope he enjoys his future role of full-time Girl Dad, watching Michaela almost certainly become the best athlete in the family.
4) They think it’s Klimková ...
How lucky for NZ Football to be twice included. Not as lucky as Jitka Klimková when NZF handed her a six-year contract two years before the most important matches in Football Ferns history, but fortunate all the same.
In 2021, NZF saw a CV featuring little more than age-group experience and decided hiring this coach was so crucial they needed to lock her down for two World Cup cycles.
Unfortunately, Klimková’s team have gone more than 10 hours without scoring, and now they’re at risk of pulling a Qatar and crashing out pointless at a home World Cup, there’s no escape hatch.
A proper football nation would have seen the Czech sacked a few scoreless hours ago. Proximity to a showpiece tournament is irrelevant; Spain canned Julen Lopetegui when they were already in Russia for the 2018 World Cup. If change is needed, change must come.
And change is needed. Some of the Football Ferns’ football in last month’s friendlies was insipid. The team have regressed under Klimková — who keeps picking the same players — and they’re yet to persuade an opponent to score an own goal. Maybe they’ll come right for 2027?
5) A super coach race
“The soap opera is done,” Leon MacDonald said optimistically after Scott Robertson was confirmed as All Blacks coach. But if the soap opera is over, it has been replaced by the get-the-team-together montage seen in any good heist flick.
Generally, the team is assembled before the prize has been secured. But Robertson has a couple of raids still to make, eyeing up some shiny future assistants.
The Blues and Hurricanes will need more security if they wish to keep MacDonald or Jason Holland, both part of the Robertson ticket when he ran in 2019.
Why stop there? Clayton McMillan’s working well at the Chiefs. It could be Robertson’s parting gift to the Crusaders. If they must hunt for a new man, so does everyone else. Perhaps the soap opera is only beginning.
