Super Rugby Pacific: Blues and Hurricanes in tug-of-war over top Kiwi head coach

Both the Blues and the Hurricanes are on the hunt for the new coach. Photo / Photosport

The Blues and Hurricanes clash on the pitch this weekend but they are also battling off the field for the same head coach for the 2024 season. With Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland both moving to higher roles, the two rival franchises are both eyeing the same man as a replacement.

Clark Laidlaw is suddenly a man in demand.

The New Zealand men’s sevens and national under-20s coach is locked in a tug-of-war between the Blues and the Hurricanes to secure his services to lead their Super Rugby teams from next season, the Herald understands.

Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland’s promotions to join Scott Robertson’s All Blacks coaching team from next year leaves the Blues and the Hurricanes searching for replacement head coaches. And at this point, they are chasing the same successor from a limited New Zealand coaching pool.

The Hurricanes are believed to have considered former All Blacks attack coach Brad Mooar but ultimately settled on Laidlaw as their preferred candidate. The Blues — after being knocked back by former Chiefs and Wallabies coach Dave Rennie and All Blacks assistant Joe Schmidt — are also understood to be keen on Laidlaw.

While Laidlaw appears something of a punt as a Super Rugby mentor, given his lack of head coaching experience in the XVs ranks, one Super Rugby executive told the Herald many players who spent time in his New Zealand sevens environment were blown away by the experience. The executive was glowing of Laidlaw by suggesting he drives edge, understands culture and possesses strong rugby intelligence, comparing him to Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan.

During his seven-year tenure Laidlaw has transformed the NZ sevens team with a run that includes Commonwealth Games gold and bronze, and Olympic silver medals. After guiding the sevens team to the latest World Series title Laidlaw immediately assumed charge of the national under-20s for two tests against Australia in Wellington next week, before travelling to South Africa for their World Cup through June and July.

All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw. Photo / Photosport

In the XVs space the Scotsman, who relocated to New Zealand 15 years ago, worked under Chris Boyd as the Hurricanes captured their sole Super Rugby title in 2015, and as an assistant at London Irish. The 45-year-old was previously approached by leading Irish clubs to join their coaching ranks, too, but preferred to bide his time with a view to landing a Super Rugby job.

Now that opportunity has arrived — it’s just a matter of whether it comes in Wellington or Auckland.

Further south the Crusaders have locked in former All Blacks openside Matt Todd to fill Scott Hansen’s void as assistant coach and the six-time defending champions are gradually reaching the nitty gritty stage of their quest to replace Robertson.

While the Crusaders are up to two weeks away from anointing Robertson’s successor their next head coach is expected to emerge from a group comprising Vern Cotter, former All Blacks lock Ross Filipo and Rob Penney.

Vastly experienced coach Cotter has been in the Crusaders mix from the outset but the Herald understands Filipo, the Waikato head coach and Chiefs assistant, and Penney are now being strongly considered.

Crucially, all three candidates have connections to the Crusaders as former players or coaches.

Filipo is considered among a crop of rising New Zealand coaches. As a player he won three titles with the Crusaders — and one with the Chiefs — before launching his coaching career in Japan. In his first season at the helm Filipo won the Covid-affected NPC title with Waikato in 2021. While retaining that role Filipo joined the Chiefs to oversee their lineout and forward play this season.

Penney is at the other end of the scale, having first worked as Crusaders assistant to Robbie Deans in 2005. He then led Canterbury to four NPC titles but in his last head coaching role, following stints in Ireland and Japan, he was dismissed early in the second of a three-year deal with the Waratahs after five straight losses to start the 2021 season.

The Crusaders are believed to be considering a two-year head coach appointment, before potentially promoting the highly-rated Tamati Ellison or pursuing former assistant Andrew Goodman who remains under contract at Irish club Leinster.

Such a strategy may favour the experienced Penney or Cotter taking charge.