Forget Jones and Erasmus, Jamie Joseph is fans' favourite to be coach of the year
Five coaches have been nominated for the World Rugby coach of the year award - and fans on social media feel that there is one clear winner.
The list was selected by Maggie Alphonsi, Brian O’Driscoll, Agustin Pichot, Nick Mallett and Clive Woodward and all nominees have legitimate reasons to be there.
Warren Gatland led Wales to Grand Slam glory and a World Cup semi-final, Rassie Erasmus won the Rugby Championship and has steered the Springboks to the RWC final, as has Eddie Jones, who masterminded a comprehensive semi-final win over the All Blacks.
Both Erasmus and Jones took over their teams when they were at a nadir and have brought them to the top of the world rankings.
In fact, Steve Hansen may be the most unmerited inclusion on the list as, by his usual standards, this has had his worst year in charge of the All Blacks as he has not won one of the Rugby Championship or the RWC.
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But it is Hansen’s compatriot, and Japan head coach Jamie Joseph who looks to be the popular choice to win the award among fans on Twitter. The former All Black-led Japan to Pacific Nations Cup glory earlier in the year, but it has been his exploits at the RWC that has won him so many fans.
Japan topped their pool at the RWC, beating both Ireland and Scotland en route, before succumbing to the Springboks in their first-ever quarter-final.
This in itself is an almighty achievement given Japan’s historically lowly status in world rugby and their resources compared to the tier one nations. However, it is the brand of rugby that Joseph has got his side playing that has been so engrossing. Japan played at a ruthlessly quick tempo and had the precise passing and offloading to run rings around whoever they played.
It was only once the Springboks tightened the game up against the Brave Blossoms and turned to their sizeable pack that there were able to get an advantage.
Losing in a quarter-final may not necessarily look impressive on paper, but it is the manner how Joseph got there and with which team that makes him many people’s favourite. This is what has been said:
With the final between England and South Africa yet to be played, the winning coach in that match may sneak the victory and that would be an understandable outcome. If so, that would not take anything away from what Joseph has achieved this year with Japan.
WATCH: Assistant coach Jacques Nienaber fields questions ahead of South Africa's World Cup final versus England
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Yeah I reckon Savea could show himself to be like McCaw in that respect, remodel himself to play how the team/game needed or changed. He started playing different when he moved into 8 I reckon, and I think he’s got a lot of those skills to shift back to 7 too. But you pretty much describe him as he is now, playing 8. Who’s going to be that dirty guy cleaning rucks and making tackles if Ardie is at 7? Sititi at 8? No, he’s basically doing what you describe of Ardie. Barrett? I think he’d be an excellent muscle man to replace and more importantly, improve on what Cane provided.\
Yeah I’m still wanting to give DP a shot, Super form is not everything, and maybe after a taste of playing against England, possible New Zealands toughest opponents last year, maybe his trying to hone a test game.
It’s not, but it’s terribly complicated for us part timers to discuss are few factors online when all the bigger picture can be taken into context (and which your reader my not be on the same track with). I really like to try and get somewhere succinctly when having a quick back and forth online, which is why I ask a specific question when really no one in that actual position is going to think about it like that, you’re right.
I asked it because I suspected you answer was just along those same lines indicating his strengths now as an 8. So were sorta coming around to your argument of wanting to put the bigger picture on it when I question how you’re going to fit “Cane” into the team.
I really agree with that, but would go even further in saying its improvement from much more than the “trio” that’s needed to be able to bust games open again like that. A lot of it was much better last year, with the props and second row getting involved in some nice breaks, but certainly there was still far too much one out rugby and they were always the worst at getting over the gainline. I’d actually say they need more of a team contributor than Ardiea Savea’s individual brilliance to improve in that area. Ardie is the toughest and most succesful at getting them on the front foot when they are really playing that one out simple hit up or pick and go structure, but I think they need, as I actually referred in the 7, someone running on the shoulder of another, willing to give the player that option and keep the defence guessing. Obviously players carrying need to be comfortable flicking the ball on last second etc, but I actually see Ardie as being someone with the least skills in either of those areas in the current squad. He is perhaps the two pass wide midfield carry man in place of Jordie and Rieko, enough ferocity to break tough midfield tackles and get an offload away if he wins that contact. Now that I think of it, having Ardie in the team may be a key factory in why the team is so poor in showing trickery and deception before the tackle happens, like where other teams prefer to work space. I’ve never really thought the ABs simply have the worst runners?
Sotutu is a key man in that area of the game for me, he is the one player in NZ that is so adept at passing to the right runner. Kirifi would be perfect for being that guy as far as a loosie option for me, as far as this article goes. Sititi as the alround runner and distribute from the bench, and Ardie being able to play in whatever role is missing, or needed more, are how I can see some of the other ‘trio’ facets working too.
Go to commentsFrance using the 7-1, England using the 6-2, Ireland and Scotland have used it a few times as well and many nations are starting to adopt it. The reality is the game is changing. Administrators have made it faster and that is leading to more significant drop offs in the forwards. You have 2 options. Load your bench with forwards or alter your player conditioning which might mean more intense conditioning for forwards and a drop off in bulk. The game can still be played many ways. Every nation needs to adapt in their own way to suit their strengths. France have followed the Springbok model of tight forwards being preferred because it suits them. They have huge hunks of meat and the bench is as good as the starters so why not go for it? The Springboks have also used hybrids like Kwagga Smith, Schalk Britz, Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert and others. England are following that model instead and by putting 3 loosies there who can do damage in defence and make the breakdown a mess in the final quarter. It worked well against Wales but will be interested to see how it goes going forward against better opposition who can threaten their lineout and scrum. All the talk around bench limitations to stop the 7-1 and 6-2 for me is nonsense. Coaches who refuse to innovate want to keep the game the same and make it uniform and sameness is bad for fans. The bench composition adds jeopardy and is a huge debate point for fans who love it. Bench innovations have not made the game worse, they have made it better and more watchable. They challenge coaches and teams and that’s what fans want. What we need now is more coaches to innovate. There is still space for the 5-3 or even a 4-4 if a coach is willing to take it on and play expansive high tempo possession-based rugby with forwards who are lean and mean and backs who are good over the ball. The laws favour that style more than ever before. Ireland are too old to do it now. Every team needs to innovate to best suit their style and players so I hope coaches and pundits stop moaning about forwards and benches and start to find different ways to win.
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