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Last minute co-coaching set-up looks like a real possibility for the Hurricanes
By Online Editors
The Hurricanes will have a new head coach next season.
John Plumtree is expected to step back from his role as head coach to join Ian Foster's All Blacks management team, leaving the Hurricanes scrambling to piece together alternate plans for next year's Super Rugby season which starts in six weeks.
The Herald understands Hurricanes assistant Jason Holland is the favourite to become the Hurricanes' third head coach in as many years, though it could yet be in a co-coaching capacity with newly-appointed forwards mentor Chris Gibbes.
Negotiations between the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby, who pay the salaries of the head coach and one assistant, are on-going but an announcement is expected by Thursday or Friday this week.
Since assuming the head coaching mantle from Chris Boyd, Plumtree has completed one season in which he guided the Hurricanes to second in the New Zealand conference and fourth overall.
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The Hurricanes lost a knife-edge semifinal 30-26 to the Crusaders, eventual champions, in Christchurch.
Asking Plumtree to juggle both the Hurricanes and All Blacks, where he is expected to take charge of the forwards, would prove too distracting to either role.
Holland is highly-regarded within rugby circles. He emerged through New Plymouth Boys' High School and played for Manawatu and Taranaki before moving to Ireland and notching a century of games for Munster and then shifting into coaching at the famed club.
Since returning home Holland has progressed from Canterbury assistant to the Hurricanes where he assumed greater responsibility for the backs and team attack after Boyd's departure to Northampton last year.
Scott Robertson also included Holland in his All Blacks coaching pitch.
Gibbes, likewise, is highly rated and experienced. He's worked with Japan, Georgia, the New Zealand under-20s, Welsh side Ospreys and Waikato.
In the past three years, Gibbes guided Wellington back to the ITM Cup Premiership where they then lost the semifinal and final in the last two seasons – a significant improvement on campaigns prior to his arrival.
Gibbes had already been added to the Hurricanes coaching team for the next two seasons, replacing Richard Watt, but Plumtree's expected departure will increase his influence, particularly on the forward pack.
Plumtree's promotion may leave the Hurricanes with one further coach to add to their team which also includes assistant Carlos Spencer and scrum coach Dan Cron.
While Holland has been at the franchise since 2015 these major changes so close to the season, coupled with the loss of All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea to injury and Beauden Barrett's move to the Blues, creates unsettling times.
Former Hurricanes second five-eighth Jason O'Halloran has announced this will be his last campaign at Glasgow alongside Dave Rennie but that timeframe doesn't fit the 2020 Super Rugby season.
It would not surprise if O'Halloran is lured to the Hurricanes coaching team for the 2021 season.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
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Excellent points Mz. Because of other commitments I have just watched the game.
Interesting watching it after reading all the news reports especially in the English media. I was expecting to see a game that the ABs were very lucky to win. What I saw was a game that England showed their tactical incompetence and their inability to construct any try scoring opportunities.
They can go on deluding themselves that they were unlucky to lose ( as Borthwick said post match ) but until they stop relying on rush defence and goal kicking to win I feel they're doomed to be ranked 4 or 5 in the world.
Can't wait until the weekend to see how the Wallabies go against them
Though I dare say Walter will be hoping for an England win.
Go to commentsIF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.
As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.
Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).
This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.
If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.
Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.
After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.
Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.
Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)
Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.
Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.
Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.
Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:
Seeding Band 1
IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG
Seeding Band 2
SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: FIJI
1/8 final opponent GEORGIA
Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA
1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND
Prognosis: You know the prognosis
I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?
Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.
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