Rugby: Tough task to change Blues

Nick Shepherd is in charge of the country's biggest player pool. Photo / Doug Sherring

It's beginning to feel like the Blues might finally be sailing towards a more convincing future. One where they not only win games, but work as a unified entity; become the aspirational franchise they clearly are not at the moment.

Much has been made of their new-found desire to buy their way out of trouble but it was the appointment earlier this year of a high performance manager that has the longer-term significance.

Nick Shepherd, well known in rugby circles having previously been involved with the New Zealand Rugby Union, has been handed the job of making sure the franchise better utilises its massive playing resources.

There are more than 40,000 players in the region which is the Blues' greatest strength and weakness.

"There has been some great work going on in three provinces [Auckland, North Harbour and Northland] but what we are finding is that it has been in isolation. What I am trying to do is to pull it all together.

"I am essentially a facilitator, here to make sure we have consistency of talent identification that players from under-17 through to the Blues' wider training group are being given the right coaching, coming through the right development programmes.

"It's a massive job but the provincial unions have been willing to assist. They all see the bigger picture, that a successful Blues team is going to inspire players and help keep them here."

Shepherd is right when he says it's a massive job. The geographic area alone is huge. Then there is the inter-provincial rivalry, the history, the politics and the sheer volume of players.

He's been brought in to find a way through the past - to set it to one side and push everyone involved into a better future.

No one is shirking from the legacy of underperformance. No one doubts the region is a long way short of fulfilling its potential. And so much of that is to do with small failings.

Despite having more than 40,000 players, the Blues can't find a homegrown first five.

There are, Shepherd says, other gaps that have been identified. In this modern age, teams like the Blues have to plan three-to-five years ahead and they see problems for some time in several positions.

Obviously, the development programme needs a long-term solution so that it is not riddled with holes. But short term, there are some patch-up initiatives that Shepherd can make happen.

"When you look at the coaching resources we have in the region we should be able to use them a bit more efficiently.

"We have Craig Dowd, Jeff Wilson, Bryce Woodward, Blair Larsen, Mark Anscombe and Andrew Strawbridge. That is a huge amount of expertise and we could have promising wings and fullbacks for example doing a couple of sessions with Jeff."

It may not seem like much, but a specialist session with someone like Wilson could have a dramatic impact on the development of a young player. What's apparent at the moment is that the players making it into the elite programmes too often arrive with skill deficiencies.

Much of that is due to the big schools relying mainly on the biggest, fastest, strongest athletes and allowing flaws in their game to go uncorrected.

By the time they reach academy programmes, it is often too hard to flush out bad habits - by then they are ingrained and difficult to budge.

That's why Shepherd is keen to evolve the selection template used by all in the Blues region to take more consideration of a promising player's character.

"We are looking more holistically when it comes to players and asking questions such as whether they are self-reliant. Have they had any leadership roles within their school? Are they playing other sports? Do they have the strength of character to problem solve?"

It will take some time, but there is now at least a co-ordinated drive to build more rounded players.

No longer will the Blues be so easily seduced by the power athlete who is capable of dominating age-grade rugby on the basis of his physique.

Further down the track, Shepherd expects his role will take on a national element as well. In time, he will work with others in identifying talent outside the region and cohesive strategies on how and whom to recruit to plug gaps.

Shepherd is adamant he is not a saviour. He needn't worry - no one would be so naive to believe that the Blues can be turned around by one man. He is a small cog in a bigger wheel; a wheel now starting to turn.