Testy Kirwan shows cracks

Blues coach John Kirwan turned the heat on a Herald reporter during a media scrum, asking about his sources. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Oh what a lovely circus. The Blues can barely win on the field, and now they are losing their cool with the media off it. In a nutshell, coach Sir John Kirwan has displayed the first public signs of cracking under the pressure, which doesn't bode well for next year.

As I understand it, the regular rugby media has generally found the great All Black wing excellent to deal with in his two and a half years as Blues coach. But not so at a press conference yesterday, I am told.

Kirwan needs to take a breath and get his public responses back in order. But the Blues board should take heed of what took place, because the signs weren't particularly good as Kirwan revealed a testy side at odds with his public image. It certainly made me wonder how he deals with stress and thus people behind the scenes, and whether this is why he struggles to retain assistants and get his team playing with cohesion.

The scenario was fairly straightforward. Herald rugby writer Patrick McKendry has broken two stories about Kirwan's succession plan: the first detailed the plan itself involving Tabai Matson, and the second revealed Crusaders assistant Matson's extraordinary visit to the Blues camp this week, which included talking to players. They were legitimate stories which raised interesting issues, and hopefully in a moment of more considered reflection Kirwan would agree.

But Kirwan turned the heat on McKendry during a media scrum at their Carrington Rd headquarters, including asking about his sources. It wasn't an overly heated or well organised attack, more words of frustration, but he must have pre-planned it. There was a touch of attempted intimidation in Kirwan's actions.

The top brass in New Zealand rugby has often struggled to understand the media's role, partly because they don't have to. The media runs to rugby, and so the environment tends to produce rugby people who think an often closed-door policy is an acceptable norm. As for the Blues, Kirwan would be better off exuding an air of calm authority. By world standards, he's had a fairly easy ride from the dastardly media considering the depths to which his team has plunged.

A bronzed McCaw
There's a gap at Eden Park, and it is just waiting for Richie McCaw.

Trundling past there the other day, it felt like the time was right to start promoting a McCaw statue to join the ones of Dave Gallaher and Michael Jones. McCaw is a Canterbury man through and through, but Auckland must claim him in this case.

He is a national figure, Eden Park is the closest thing to a national stadium for better or worse, and most importantly this is where he led the All Blacks to the famous World Cup victory, wounded foot and all.

McCaw's career is drawing to a close, so why wait some interminable time - like they often do with the national gongs - before doing what has to be done. Malcolm Evans' wonderful Gallaher piece - of strength, humility and sacrifice - is about a man more than a moment. The one of Jones scoring the first World Cup try is more about a moment than the man, although it will also long tell the story of football athleticism at its finest because Jones is involved.

A bronze of McCaw will not only reflect New Zealand's anguish and triumph of finally winning the World Cup again, but pay tribute to the character shown by the most amazing giant of New Zealand sport.

There is a simplicity to the McCaw career, all about an astonishingly good player. It would be fascinating to see an artist's interpretation.