The Star: July 04, 2019
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news online at www.star.kiwi<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>July</strong> 4 <strong>2019</strong><br />
SPORT 33<br />
Razor a cut above ABs coaching contenders<br />
IF SCOTT Robertson can<br />
become the first head coach<br />
to guide a side to a Super<br />
Rugby three-peat, he has to be<br />
the front-runner for the All<br />
Blacks top job when it becomes<br />
available in November.<br />
Yes, Robertson has<br />
no experience coaching<br />
internationally overseas.<br />
However, why let his talents be<br />
used against us when he’s proven<br />
at arguably the highest level<br />
below test match rugby and is<br />
there for the taking?<br />
His record in provincial and<br />
Super Rugby alone more than<br />
fits the bill.<br />
Wayne Smith was made All<br />
Blacks coach in 2000 following<br />
back-to-back Super Rugby titles<br />
at the helm of the Crusaders in<br />
1998 and 1999.<br />
Meanwhile, John Mitchell’s<br />
appointment to the All Blacks<br />
job came on the back of just one<br />
sixth-placed campaign with the<br />
Chiefs in 2001.<br />
Many have Ian Foster tipped<br />
to be Steve Hansen’s successor.<br />
He has a wealth of experience<br />
as an assistant coach with<br />
the national team since 2012.<br />
However, he was in charge of the<br />
Chiefs for eight years, from 20<strong>04</strong><br />
until 2011, and in that time they<br />
made the finals only twice and<br />
never won a title.<br />
One-eyed Cantab<br />
Gordon Findlater<br />
gordon.findlater@starmedia.kiwi<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were also on the<br />
receiving end of the worst ever<br />
loss suffered in a Super Rugby<br />
final.<br />
Early options outside of<br />
Robertson and Foster included<br />
Joe Schmidt, who has since<br />
openly put himself out of<br />
contention for the job.<br />
Warren Gatland was likely<br />
to be another favourite for<br />
the position after boasting an<br />
impressive record with Ireland,<br />
Wales and the British and Irish<br />
Lions.<br />
However, Gatland’s<br />
decision to take on the Chiefs<br />
role seems to have signalled<br />
he won’t be the man to replace<br />
Hansen.<br />
Staying with the chiefs, Dave<br />
Rennie is another heavyweight<br />
– he and Robertson are the only<br />
first year Super Rugby coaches<br />
to win titles. However, Rennie<br />
looks like a favourite to end up<br />
with the Wallabies job.<br />
Vern Cotter and Jamie Joseph<br />
are the other names being<br />
thrown about, but a betting<br />
man would find it hard to go<br />
past it being a shootout between<br />
Robertson and Foster.<br />
In that case, it begs the<br />
question, do we want to go for<br />
the safe option in Foster or<br />
choose the best coach in Super<br />
Rugby history?<br />
Top of the tables<br />
League premiership<br />
P W L D PD Pts<br />
Linwood Keas 11 10 1 0 158 20<br />
Hornby Panthers 11 9 2 0 290 18<br />
Northern Bulldogs 11 7 4 0 122 14<br />
Eastern Eagles 11 6 5 0 18 12<br />
Riccarton Knights 11 4 7 0 -26 8<br />
Celebration Lions 11 3 8 0 -79 6<br />
Halswell Hornets 11 3 8 0 -224 6<br />
Papanui Tigers 11 2 9 0 -259 4<br />
Metro premier rugby (top six)<br />
P W L D BP Pts<br />
Lincoln University 3 2 1 0 2 10<br />
Shirley 3 2 1 0 1 9<br />
HSOB 3 2 1 0 0 8<br />
New Brighton 3 1 2 0 3 7<br />
Christchurch 3 1 2 0 2 6<br />
Marist Albion 3 1 2 0 1 5<br />
(Bottom six)<br />
Sydenham 3 3 0 0 3 15<br />
Sumner 3 2 1 0 1 9<br />
Burnside 3 2 1 0 1 9<br />
Belfast 3 1 2 0 2 6<br />
Linwood 3 1 2 0 1 5<br />
University 3 0 3 0 1 1<br />
UC Championship<br />
P W L D BP Pts<br />
Nelson College 10 9 1 0 9 45<br />
St Andrew’s 9 9 0 0 8 44<br />
St Bede’s 9 8 1 0 6 38<br />
Christchurch BHS 9 6 3 0 7 31<br />
Christ’s 9 5 3 1 6 28<br />
Rangiora HS 9 5 4 0 8 28<br />
St Thomas’ 9 5 4 0 4 24<br />
Lincoln Combined 9 3 5 1 5 19<br />
Timaru BHS 9 3 6 0 5 17<br />
Shirley BHS 9 3 6 0 5 15<br />
Marlborough BC 9 3 6 0 3 15<br />
Waimea Combined 8 2 6 0 1 9<br />
Aoraki Combined 9 2 7 0 0 8<br />
Mid-Canterbury 9 0 9 0 2 2<br />
Southern Football League<br />
P W D L GD Pts<br />
Nelson Suburbs 1 1 0 0 4 3<br />
Cashmere Tech 1 1 0 0 3 3<br />
Coastal Spirit 1 1 0 0 3 3<br />
Caversham 1 1 0 0 2 3<br />
Mosgiel 1 0 0 1 -2 0<br />
Nomads United 1 0 0 1 -3 0<br />
Otago University 1 0 0 1 -3 0<br />
FC Twenty 11 1 0 1 1 -4 0<br />
Premier hockey men<br />
P W L D GD Pts<br />
Southern United 10 7 1 2 7 23<br />
Marist 10 5 3 2 17 17<br />
Avon 10 4 2 4 1 16<br />
HSOB/Burnside 10 4 3 3 7 15<br />
Harewood 10 4 4 2 1 14<br />
University 10 3 5 2 0 11<br />
Carlton Redliffs 10 2 5 3 -2 9<br />
Hornby Vipers 10 1 7 2 -14 5<br />
Premier hockey women<br />
P W L D GD Pts<br />
Carlton Redcliffs 9 9 0 0 29 27<br />
Marist 9 6 3 0 8 18<br />
Avon Eels 9 4 4 1 -3 13<br />
Harewood 8 3 3 2 7 11<br />
HSOB/Burnside 8 3 4 1 -5 10<br />
Hornby Tigers 8 2 4 2 -5 8<br />
Southern United 9 0 9 0 -31 0<br />
Weekend match-ups<br />
•Metro premier rugby<br />
(Saturday) New Brighton<br />
v Shirley 2.45pm, Rawhiti<br />
Domain; Lincoln Uni v<br />
HSOB 2.45pm, Lincoln Uni;<br />
Christchurch v Marist Albion<br />
2.45pm, Christchurch Park;<br />
Linwood v Sumner 2.45pm,<br />
Linfield Park; Sydenham v<br />
Burnside 2.45pm, Sydenham<br />
Park; University v Belfast<br />
2.45pm, Ilam Fields.<br />
•UC Championship<br />
(Saturday) Timaru BHS<br />
v Lincoln Combined noon,<br />
Young boxers’<br />
golden chance<br />
Ryley Southerland (left) and<br />
Hamuera Tainui were two of<br />
four young Canterbury boxers<br />
to win titles at the New<br />
Zealand Golden Gloves in<br />
Rotorua. <strong>The</strong> pair, along with<br />
Daniel Meehan and Kwhali<br />
Beauchamp, won their<br />
weight/age divisions and have<br />
been named in the national<br />
development squad to travel<br />
to Australia later this year.<br />
Timaru BHS; Marlborough<br />
BC v Waimea Combined<br />
noon, Marlborough BC;<br />
Shirley BHS v Mid-Canterbury<br />
Combined noon, Shirley BHS;<br />
St Thomas’ v Roncalli noon,<br />
St Thomas’; Christchurch BHS<br />
v St Bede’s College 2.45pm,<br />
Christchuch BHS; Rangiora HS<br />
v St Andrew’s College 2.45pm,<br />
Rangiora<br />
HS.<br />
•Chatham Cup<br />
(Saturday) Christchurch<br />
United v Nelson Suburbs 7pm,<br />
Christchurch Football Centre.<br />
3 issues $20 • 6 issues $44.50 • 10 issues $65<br />
rugbynews.co.nz 0800 77 77 10
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