Coaching conflict looming for Auckland

David Nucifora

Auckland would lose David Nucifora as their high-performance NPC coach or be forced to apply for dispensation if the Australian was promoted to coach the Blues.

That conflict is spelled out in the NZRU rules about Super 12 head coaches, although deputy chief executive Steve Tew said there could be discussions on individual cases.

"But the principle is clear. We want head coaches to be fully focused on their Super 12 work so they have time to look through their franchise and assess players.

"Of course the timing of an appointment, if it cuts across some other work, would have to be considered."

Sorting out eligibility issues was part of the process for Blues chief executive David White, who said applications for the job vacated by Peter Sloane would be posted soon, with a decision expected late next month.

Names of possible contenders circulating yesterday were returning Wasps coach Warren Gatland, former Blues assistant John Kirwan, former Auckland coach Wayne Pivac and former Samoa boss John Boe.

There were also theories that none of the eligibility rules would apply for the expanded Super 14 series because they were written for the defunct Super 12 competition.

The regulations say a head coach can also coach a national side with the exception of the All Blacks, or be a resource coach, but cannot coach at all in the NPC.

A successful candidate must, in the previous year, have been a coach, assistant, technical or specialist coach in the Super 12, NPC or national teams.

The only exception is if he has completed three years' cumulative service in the previous eight years in any of the coaching roles.

Quizzed this week, Nucifora said he would go through the review process and see what happened.

"There is nothing written or promised in that [coach] department," he said.

Auckland would be reluctant to part with the former Brumbies coach, who was hired as the province's high-performance coach.

Pivac won three NPC titles with Auckland, lost out to Sloane in seeking the Blues job in 2002, and at the end of the following year took up a position with Fiji.

Contacted yesterday, Pivac said he was contracted to coach Fiji through to the 2007 World Cup.

"At the moment I am unavailable. I can't walk out on that. But at some stage, being a professional coach, the Blues job is one I would like to do."

Kirwan was an assistant coach and manager of the Blues, and recently lost his job with Italy.

Boe coached the Pacific Islanders side last season. Gatland has agreed to coach Waikato in this year's NPC, with the intention that he offer technical assistance to the Chiefs next year.

Even if the Blues persuaded Gatland to apply to coach their franchise, they would have to convince the NZRU that he was eligible.

The Blues board will meet early next month to review their 2005 coaching staff of Sloane, Nucifora and Joe Schmidt.

After sifting through applications for Sloane's job, a selection panel will shortlist candidates and then conduct interviews. The panel will comprise Blues chairman Greg Muir, White, independent member Andy Haden and several NZRU officials.