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'Becoming like the Warriors': All Blacks compared to New Zealand's 'mediocre' NRL side
By Sam Smith
Former Kiwis coach Tony Kemp has questioned whether the All Blacks are heading the same way as the New Zealand Warriors, the NRL club that has underperformed long-term and been associated with mediocrity.
The stunning comparison comes after the All Blacks have won just one of their last five tests, including losing a historic three-match home series to Ireland, which is well below the standard they have set over the last decade.
In the four wins they have achieved over their last nine outings, two of those include wins over Italy and the USA, while the side has slipped to fourth in the world rankings.
Kemp, a former professional rugby league player and coach, offered his thoughts on the All Blacks predicament on the SENZ Breakfast radio show and asked whether the NZR are doing what is right for the side's success.
“Are they becoming like the Warriors, or too similar to the Warriors with the way that they’re picking their coaches who just aren’t up to scratch?” Kemp said on SENZ Breakfast.
“For me, it’s a really big time to really think about that and iron out the issue before they have the same systemic problem, which is what the Warriors do in hiring mediocrity as part of the system.
“If you have a look at Ian Foster, he’s come through the All Black coaching ranks, yes he’s had some success as an assistant coach, but assistant coaches don’t always make good coaches.
“His team around him … are they the best (people) … John Plumtree and co, to get the job done?”
Ian Foster selected John Plumtree, who had just taken over the Hurricanes head coaching role after a long time as an assistant there, along with former Crusaders coach Brad Mooar, and defence coach Scott McLeod as his support staff.
In the case of Plumtree and Mooar, they were part of championship-winning Crusaders and Hurricanes sides as assistants, but had not led Super Rugby teams before.
Foster himself coached the Chiefs to a Super Rugby final but came up short, torn apart 61-17 by a rampant Bulls side in the 2009 Super Rugby final.
With the calibre of New Zealand coaches around the world, Kemp called the current staff 'second-rate' which warranted comparisons to the Warriors.
“Dave Rennie – Australian coach, Razor (Scott) Robertson … Wayne Smith – he’s in there in the women’s team, you’ve got Shag (Sir Steve Hansen) – he’s gone, you’ve got Robbie Deans,” Kemp continued.
“You’ve got all these great New Zealand coaches and yet what we’ve come up with for the All Black team, I think, is nothing but second-rate.
“It’s about putting the best team together. If we can’t do that, then you’re going down the same road as the Warriors.
“You’re just accepting mediocrity as a way forward and hopefully it will get you across the line."
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To be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
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