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Pivac rated 'better than Graham Henry, Steve Hansen'
By Online Editors
Wales Rugby chairman Gareth Davies has detailed conversations had on the tour of New Zealand back in 2016 to the Guardian, which influenced the decision to appoint Scarlets coach and Kiwi Wayne Pivac as the next national head coach.
"It is fair to say that when we started this process, during the Wales tour to New Zealand in 2016, Wayne was not a leading contender," he said.
"But I remember having a game of golf in Wellington with someone I will not name who said that he knew a number of players who had worked with Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne and they rated Wayne the best of them."
The high praise for the coach has been backed up by recent results, with Pivac turning Scarlets into a force in Europe albeit with inferior resources to the top English, Irish and French clubs. He will join Wales on a four-year deal as part of the next World Cup cycle towards 2023.
Why Kiwi Wayne Pivac is a good fit for Wales
"We have secured the best man for the job and we have done so rigorously and decisively to the collective benefit of all involved in Welsh rugby," WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips said.
"Both Wayne and Warren and their coaching teams, our international players, supporters and everyone at the Scarlets now have clarity and there is no underestimating the positive benefit to be gained from having the time to plan properly for the future.
The decision to announce the signing now is to have some stability following the turbulent World Cup year, allowing ample planning time to hand over the role.
"We have avoided the feeding frenzy that can come at the end of a World Cup year and we have been meticulous in ensuring we have someone of the talent, experience, charisma and rugby acumen to do the very best possible job for Welsh rugby.
"The handover process is something we will plan carefully and commence in detail next summer."
Pivac's family is ecstatic over his promotion, the reward for years of sacrifice and moving to the other side of the world.
"In the last few days, the only people I've been able to celebrate with are my mum and dad and my son and the other one, who is living in Australia, over the phone," Pivac told Wales Online.
"They've supported me right from when I was five years of age when they took me down to play in the cold with bare feet.
"I was allowed to sit down with mum and dad and tell them, but they were told it's top secret."
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Latest Comments
We beat Wales. Oh wow.
Go to commentsAs has been the way all year, and for all England's play I can remember. I missed a lot of the better years under Eddie though.
Lets have a look at the LQB for the last few games... 41% under 3 sec compared to 56% last week, 47% in the game you felt England best in against NZ, and 56 against Ireland.
That was my impression as well. Dunno if that is a lack of good counterattack ball from the D, forward dominance (Post Contact Meters stats reversed yesterday compared to that fast Ireland game), or some Borthwick scheme, but I think that has been highlighted as Englands best point of difference this year with their attack, more particularly how they target using it in certain areas. So depending on how you look at it, not necessarily the individual players.
You seem to be falling into the same trap as NZs supporters when it comes to Damien McKenzie. That play you highlight Slade in wasn't one of those LQB situations from memory, that was all on the brilliance of Smith. Sure, Slade did his job in that situation, but Smith far exceeded his (though I understand it was a move Sleightholme was calling for). But yeah, it's not always going to be on a platter from your 10 and NZ have been missing that Slade line, in your example, more often than not too. When you go back to Furbank and Feyi-Waboso returns you'll have that threat again. Just need to generate that ball, wait for some of these next Gen forwards to come through etc, the props and injured 6 coming back to the bench. I don't think you can put Earl back to 7, unless he spends the next two years speeding up (which might be good for him because he's getting beat by speed like he's not used to not having his own speed to react anymore).
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