Not often does a large group meeting begin with an apology.
That was exactly what Sir John Kirwan offered to Auckland Blues members when the franchise had its official Super Rugby launch on Wednesday morning. While not asking for forgiveness, this candid statement during the breakfast event qualified the sentiment that Kirwan’s fellow coaching staff and players all felt after ‘again’ not reaching the semi-finals.
“I know that personally in the last 2 seasons I have made my intentions known that this group would achieve results, and when myself and the players finished our 2014 season I know none of us were happy with where we ended up”. A mia culpa from this Italian speaking coach who would have endured that feeling of a stone (not reaching the semifinals) in his show the few months he had away from the sport he dearly loves.
One couldn’t agree more, with many publications raising the point early that it has been over a decade now since this proud franchise has raised a Super Rugby trophy. But JK is certainly one to speak from the heart, so you feel that when Kirwan speaks of change – he means it.
Honest and evoking, he spoke of the change that his team had made [in personnel and the back room]. He mentioned that they needed to ‘shake the cage’ and to look at themselves first. He confirmed that pre-season had been great, with many players looking freshly tanned and ready to face the Chiefs at their northern home of Toll Stadium that Thursday.
He emphasized several key points that his side were to begin well in Africa especially, since The Blues have hardly had the success of other New Zealand sides, like The Crusaders historically and the Highlanders had in the last 12 months.
You can see a decent balance in this team, with enough experience that will count in those big games, but the younger players will chance their arm and play to win if the members get behind this side. Sure, they will aim to reach the semifinals, but 7 or even 10 points from their continental trip would be a vital opening act of 2015. Their focus needs to be immediately on-target and the NZ side have the grace of a well timed run home that will help build themselves a fortress for many sides.
Remember, this was the side that countered the mighty Waratahs on Anzac Day; and that was only their second best result as the upset win against the high-flying Western Force certainly was, so home ground advantage is where JK plans to benefit from 4 points (or more) in a stretch of home matches.
Then taking seats on the main stage, four stars of the side were asked some good and some alternative questions from the floor. Confronting their most reported signing, Jimmy Cowan was asked about his new Auckland routine and coffee of choice; his teamates and the MC were happy to give him a little lip, as his reputation proceeds him. The ‘chippy halfback’ who takes no backward step in any side, and when you add in some caffeine….the result may in fact just might appear on the Sundays sports pages. “No Yellows” was the passing comment from MC Scotty Stevenson.
Charles Piutau chimed in with a solid call on his own kicking game, changes he intends to make himself (with no Mick Byrne, that is pivotal) the strategies his side needed. He needed to be asked if he wished to combine well with new player Dan Bowden immediately or will this untested 10-12 axis not allow this talented fullback to pick-up speed, receive the ball on the angle, at full pace as he can attack as well as any International player his age.
Looking at the flyhalfs, by all publicity Ihaia West will begin, with Simon Hickey working hard on his defensive bulk while still being the more assured player. These small variances in play will have been pre-determined by the coaching staff, so Piutau will play a major part in his kick returns and maybe used as a dummy first-receiver, to combat charging loose forwards.
The new captain was then asked about his meteoric rise to power, and it was from his return back from Asia where Kaino mentioned that he was both pleased and honoured with the accolades of 2014 [Blues Player of the Year] and then delighted to be with his beloved All Blacks. He had to sit back when asked to lead the team, which is not surprising for a man who ticks all the boxes in-play but is reserved and cool off it.
Humble to a fault, he won’t need to ram any messages down players throats, because JK and senior players like Braid and Parsons can share those duties as both are provincial leaders. I will be one who watches to see if Jerome Kaino can be verbal enough with the officials during play, as he needs to be toward his own side.
The big calls will be made both on-the-field and in the boardroom in 2015. New organizations, in any professional sport, could ask for 12 months to set in motion the operations and infrastructure to institute a new club ethos and business culture. And those many changes will be as effective as the away results might be – win and the backroom will sort itself out. Lose, and your Boss might be inviting you to meet him to discuss the ‘findings of the board’.
John Kirwan will implore the players to deliver. We all know that. The members can be sure of that too. He will ask the side to commit to his model of winning, where the entire match needs to be under their own control. Not just leave it up the opposition to fumble in their own half, for The Blues to create an overlap that allows the side to counter. No.
A full match needs to be within all sides control and that’s how sides gain that 1 percentage advantage, the small fraction that amounts at the end of the season.
“The difference between reaching the finals was a single win” said Kirwan. “Just a few points and its that little bit of difference that will mean so much to us. And that bit of difference is what we want to deliver to you members.”
That needs to be delivered to all NZ Rugby fans and JK hopes to improve the end result and by ‘rattling the Cage’ a little he might find that one percentage point so a winning feeling returns to this large fan base.
Leadership from coaches and management will help, fans at the park will make it a cauldron to match the famed team in black, but The Blues altogether can only help themselves more in 2015.
As they say in Auckland its #strengthinnumbers
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