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Vern Cotter started his Blues tenure as he intends to continue – shooting from the hip to outline his ambition to deliver immediate success by injecting a hardened edge to the forward pack.
Cotter returns to New Zealand rugby to replace Leon MacDonald on a two-year contract after a seriesof coaching stints in France, Scotland and Fiji. Those 17 years away from home has Cotter prioritising two key pillars to improving the Blues.
“Coaches are about what they can bring to ambition and attitude,” Cotter said. “That’s what I’ll be trying to do. Everyone is a competitor. We will come together and want to win titles. That’s what this is about. It’s two years to win a title. There will be no excuses we’re straight into it.”
The end of MacDonald’s five-year tenure sparks a coaching overhaul at the Blues, with former Hurricanes midfielder Jason O’Halloran appointed to improve the attack.
While continuity remains, with assistants Daniel Halangahu shifting to a skills focus, Craig McGrath retaining the defence brief and Paul Tito overseeing the lineout, forwards coach Tom Coventry and Tana Umaga no longer appear part of the main squad’s coaching team.
“It’s an ongoing discussion with them around what the roles and responsibilities are,” Blues chief executive Andrew Hore said. “We’ve got to allow Vern to do his thing, have his discussions and pick his team.
“I wouldn’t say we are rebuilding. It’s easy sometimes to say you’re rebuilding because you think that’s going to give you some time. We’ve tried to balance it as best we can to make sure we’ve got more continuity as opposed to a cleanout.”
Vern Cotter returns to New Zealand with the Blues after 17 years away. Photo / Photosport
These days, Cotter resides on his Te Puke farm but in donning the Blues apparel he professed his Auckland connections that extend to being born in Devonport and spending his first five years on Motuihe Island.
Throughout his coaching career Cotter earned the moniker “Stern Vern” for his hard-nosed approach to forward play in particular. Such a title belies his ability to traverse contrasting cultures but in setting out his stall for the Blues, Cotter wasted no time setting his expectations.
“It’s all about winning, getting people together and becoming a team,” Cotter said. “These are a talented bunch of individuals so it’s about getting the ambition right and making sure we’re not frightened about competition, that we walk towards it and roll our sleeves up to do the simple things well.”
Cotter noted his desire to blend the best of his experiences to the Blues – Scottish hard work with French toughness and Fijian flair. He left no ambiguity about his immediate focus, though, after watching the manner in which the Blues forwards were embarrassed in the collisions and the breakdown in their 52-15 semifinal exit against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
“Yeah, I want to get stuck into the forwards, get them a bit rougher and tougher. Rugby starts up front. We really need to focus on that. We don’t really need X-factor up front we’ve got plenty of it out the back. In simple terms that’s what we’ll be looking at.”
The other significant part of the equation is addressing the psychological ability to win defining occasions.
While MacDonald led the Blues to a 15-match unbeaten run last year, and lifted the franchise from frustrating underachievers to consistent contenders, their finals flops in the last two years left an overriding sense of deflation.
Cotter expects the Blues to return next season hungry to atone for their latest squandered campaign.
“I think they’ll be angry about that. They probably can’t wait to get back in and put that right. That will be the overwhelming emotion following that game. That will create an interesting dynamic.”
During his time with French club Clermont, Cotter lost three Top 14 finals before breaking through to capture the team’s maiden title.
“If you listen to the comments from the Crusaders following their seventh title in a row a lot of it is down to process, belief, having the ambition to do it and every day coming to work aiming to win it. Don’t be surprised – you’ve worked all year to get there. Turn up on the day and be the best you can.”
The Blues farewell All Blacks Beauden Barrett, Nepo Laulala, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, as well as Tom Robinson and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, from this year’s ranks. But with the core of their squad locked in, and playmakers Stephen Perofeta and Zarn Sullivan to guide the team, Cotter has a strong base to carve a more ruthless mentality.
“There will be opportunities for new players to come in and express themselves. We’ll grow players around their attitude and how they come to work every day.”
