Super Rugby Pacific: The front-runners to lead the Blues, Crusaders and Hurricanes in 2024

Blues coach Leon MacDonald and Crusaders boss Scott Robertson will both be moving on next year. Photo / Getty

Scott Robertson confirming his All Blacks coaching team for next year shifts the focus to Super Rugby where three teams – the Blues, Crusaders and Hurricanes – are scrambling to land replacements. With the international coaching market well advanced, and readymade domestic candidates in short supply, the quest to appoint successors is far from straightforward. Liam Napier reports on the latest developments.

Blues

The failed pursuit of Dave Rennie speaks to the Blues intent to land a big replacement. Leon MacDonald’s five years at the helm transformed the Blues from perennial underachievers to consistent title contenders but as he prepares to depart to lead the All Blacks attack next year, the Blues are desperate to secure an experienced mentor. That’s why they went for Rennie, only for the former Chiefs, Glasgow and Wallabies coach to rebuff the Blues approach, which included flying to Australia for a sales pitch, in favour of a lucrative move to Japan.

Where do the Blues next turn?

Joe Schmidt - The next target. Schmidt has twice, including last season alongside MacDonald, worked in an assistant capacity at the Blues. He’s made his intentions clear to move on from the All Blacks after the World Cup and while a host of European teams will be keen to lure Schmidt’s extensive experience, with his family settled in New Zealand leading the Blues could hold appeal. However, there are no guarantees Schimdt wants to resume head coaching. As they did with Rennie, the Blues and their significant financial backers will do their utmost to persuade Schmidt.

Joe Schmidt could be in the mix to return to the Blues as head coach. Photo / Getty

Vern Cotter - Could be in high demand, with the Blues and Crusaders potentially interested. Cotter ticks the experience box, having held head coaching positions with Scotland, French clubs Montpellier and Clermont, Bay of Plenty and Fiji. Cotter stepped down from guiding Fiji earlier this year for personal reasons. He has since resumed life on his Te Puke farm while considering his next move. He and Schimdt could, potentially, align again after joining forces previously with Bay of Plenty and Clermont.

Chris Boyd - Another vastly experienced candidate. Boyd returned home last year, following five seasons with English club Northampton, to accept a mentoring role to first-year Highlanders head coach Clarke Dermody. Prior to Northampton Boyd guided the Hurricanes, alongside former All Blacks forwards coach John Plumtree, who will soon rejoin the Sharks in South Africa, to their maiden title in 2016. There could be an itch to return to Super Rugby coaching.

Wayne Pivac - Boasts a strong affiliation to the Blues region after coaching Northland, North Harbour and Auckland prior to leaving for Wales where he led Scarlets to a Pro12 title that earned him promotion to the national team. In his second season with Wales Pivac captured a somewhat forgotten Triple Crown and Six Nations title. Results then rapidly nose-dived, though. He was replaced by Warren Gatland late last year to leave him open for offers.

Crusaders

The defending champions find themselves in a similar position to the Blues – moving onto their next preferred candidate.

Former Crusaders assistant Andrew Goodman was their leading target to replace Robertson. As of this week, though, the Herald on Sunday understands Goodman is out of the Crusaders succession frame, with powerhouse Irish club Leinster determined to retain his services.

Leinster are preparing to farewell former England coach Stuart Lancaster and with Goodman under contract beyond this year, the club would be well within their rights to request compensation the Crusaders could not afford.

Goodman is crafting a reputation as an astute attack coach that could, eventually, lead to promotion to the Irish national team.

That scenario sends the Crusaders back to scrambling to fill two vacancies, with assistant Scott Hansen set to assume the All Blacks defence brief under Robertson.

The Crusaders have a long history of promotion from within but Cotter, after leading the forwards in 2005 and ‘06 under Robbie Deans, could be their next target after missing out on Goodman.

Former All Blacks assistant Brad Mooar and Glenn Delaney also come into the picture. So, too, Deans, who is being courted by the Reds to replace Brad Thorn next year, but is unlikely to end his highly successful nine years in Japan by moving to Brisbane.

Hurricanes

Expected to go to market in the bid to replace Jason Holland, the Hurricanes may need not search too far.

Just as they did three years ago, when promoting Holland from assistant to head coach as John Plumtree joined Ian Foster’s coaching team a month out from the Super Rugby season, the Hurricanes may again favour the continuity approach, with forwards coach Chris Gibbes shaping as the leading succession contender.

Former Wellington head coach Chris Gibbes could be a contender for a promotion at the Hurricanes. Photo / Photosport

Before linking with the Hurricanes Gibbes did his time as a head coach. He led Waikato to two provincial finals, Ranfurly Shield success, and promoted Wellington from the Championship to Premiership. In between times Gibbes gained international experience with Japan and Georgia and spent four years leading the Ospreys forwards in Wales.

Plumtree accepting the head coach position at the Sharks, where he played 80 games and coached the Durban-based team to the 2007 Currie Cup title, rules him out of contention for a return.

The Hurricanes could go back to Boyd after he delivered one lost final and the franchise’s sole title in his three years in charge, but Gibbes appears well placed to continue Holland’s solid foundations.