The Star: November 14, 2019

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
HAVING NOT played in more
than a year, it’s easy to forget the
All Whites exist, let alone 11
blokes are actually going to take
to the field tomorrow morning
rather than being a team on
paper.
New coach Danny Hay faces
his first test against Ireland in
Dublin before taking on Lithuania
in Vilnius – and therein lies
the problem. Let’s face it, who
wants to bother following a team
which essentially plays one game
of meaning at home every four
years?
The last time I saw the All
Whites in the news was when
Hay said he plans to move any future
World Cup play-off matches
to Eden Park rather than Wellington’s
Westpac Stadium – it’s nice
to know they’re slowly building
the hype ahead of that upcoming
match in 2021.
Let’s not forget we have to get
there first. That requires winning
the OFC (Oceania) World Cup
qualifying tournament, which
SPORT 31
Blow for Robertson
in bid to be All Blacks coach
SCOTT ROBERTSON has
spoken of his disappointment
at hearing Tony Brown had
decided to support Jamie Joseph
in his push to be the next All
Blacks coach, but conceded: “I
appreciate it was a tough call for
him to make to me.”
Crusaders coach Robertson
had hoped to team up with
Japan assistant coach Brown,
whose stock rose significantly
during the recent Rugby
World Cup along with that
of hosts Japan after their
ground-breaking victories
over Ireland and Scotland and
meritorious performance in their
quarter-final defeat to eventual
STRONG CV:
champions South Africa.
Scott
The pair would have made
Robertson
a compelling partnership but
has won three
instead, Brown, who is returning
consecutive
to New Zealand to help Aaron
Super Rugby
Mauger with the Highlanders,
titles with the
has thrown his lot in with
Crusaders. ​
Joseph, the current head coach
of Japan who also has All Black
you need to, it’s a big process
ambitions.
‘All the learnings along the way can help me in my quest coming up and they’ve needed to
“Tony made his call,”
to be All Black coach’
challenge me and my thoughts
Robertson said today. “It was
– Scott Robertson
and processes coming into it.”
a tough phone call to make.
He said he and his family were
We had planned for a while to
ready for the step up in intensity
work together. He showed his for yourself and what is going All the learnings along the way and profile. “I’m really mindful
hand to work with Jamie – and to be best for the team. They are can help me in my quest to be of the status that it holds. It’s one
his loyalty. I appreciate it was a private conversations as you can All Black coach. It’s up to them of the biggest jobs in the country,
tough call for him to make to imagine.”
whether they feel that experience as we know. My wife Jane is in,
me.”
Robertson, prepared for is enough. I think it was shown we’re all in. I’ve got three young
Robertson, who spoke
questions on his goal of replacing in the most recent tournament; sons who really understand –
to the media at the official Steve Hansen but perhaps not the right person for the job is the well, I’m not sure the youngest
announcement of the New expecting such an interrogation key ingredient.”
one understands but if we’re all
Zealand Super Rugby squads, a month or so before
He also confirmed happy at home he’s happy.
will relinquish his role as
his official interview,
he had spoken to
“It’s a real passion of mine,
Crusaders head coach should was asked whether his
several mentors about I love what I do and the
his All Black interview in early background of success
the process, including opportunity doesn’t come
December go well and the with the Crusaders – three
Robbie Deans, a former around very often.”
recommendation of panellists Sir consecutive titles – and
Crusaders and Wallabies He has support if not
Graham Henry, Mark Robinson, before that Canterbury,
coach.
sympathy from Blues rival Leon
Brent Impey, Mike Anthony and represented a good
“I’m an extremely MacDonald, who worked under
Waimarama Taumaunu is signed foundation for the role of
optimistic person,” Robertson at the Crusaders
Tony Brown
off by the New Zealand Rugby All Blacks head coach.
Robertson said. “It’s in 2017 before shifting north.
board.
He replied: “Do you have to in my nature to see a lot of MacDonald, preparing for his
But now the man known as lose to learn to be a better person opportunities in things. I need second season with the Blues,
Razor is in the process of finding and better coach? That’s for them to have people to add a bit of said: “I know that my brain is
another running mate to replace [panel] to decide.
realism. Without naming too working overtime on one job,
Brown, and he added: “That’s “I’ve got my formula and I’ve many names, there are a lot of so to have two in mind will be a
part of the game. You have worked really hard coaching ex-Crusaders coaches who have challenge, but he’s the sort of guy
conversations with people and schoolboy rugby through to influenced me. I’ve talked to who can cope and do both well.”
you work out the best options club rugby and to Super Rugby. them and have got pretty deep – – NZ Herald
One-eyed Cantab
Gordon Findlater
gordon.findlater@starmedia.kiwi
will see the All Whites visiting
some of the finest grounds the
Pacific Islands have to offer. All
Whites supporters will also be
treated to mouth-watering home
ties against the likes of Fiji and
New Caledonia, before taking on
an Oceania powerhouse like the
Solomon Islands in a scintillating
final played over two legs.
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The answer to injecting some
life into the team and a campaign
for New Zealanders to get behind
is purely and simply joining the
Asia confederation.
If the All Whites joined Asia
they would actually be able to
engage with a New Zealand audience.
On their current world ranking
the All Whites would advance
to the second round of the AFC
qualification. That alone guarantees
four home and four away
matches playing in one of eight,
five-team-pools.
To reach the next stage of
qualification they would need to
win their group or finish as one of
Thursday November 14 2019 The Star
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in brief
Kelly, Glasson take
$10,000 bowling prize
Canterbury bowlers Andrew
Kelly and Nathan Glasson took
out the Stoke Stakes men’s pairs,
overcoming a star-studded
post-section field to claim the
$10,000 winners’ cheque. The
final saw Andre Smith and
Dennis Mills race out of the
block early doors to take an
8-2 lead, though much like the
game beforehand, both Glasson
and Kelly settled in to their
work and began pegging back
the deficit. It wasn’t long before
they had the game back in their
favour, with Kelly and Glasson
proving too consistent over the
18-ends, picking up a five count
to extend their lead 21-12 and
force the Marlborough duo to
concede defeat with two ends
left to play.
Identifying players for
U19 World Cup
New Canterbury Cricket
network coach, Freddy
Anderson, has named a
14-strong squad for the
upcoming men’s national
under-19 tournament in Lincoln
from December 4-12. The squad
will be captained by Christ’s
College batsman Nic Lidstone
as he returns from a labral
tear in his right hip suffered
during a hockey trial two years
ago. The tournament will also
be used to identify players to
represent New Zealand at the
ICC Under-19 World Cup in
South Africa early next year.
Canterbury squad – Matt Boyle,
Matthias Paltridge, Rhys Mariu,
Archie Redfern, Nic Lidstone, Jesse
Frew, Regan Sheahan, Lachie Harper,
Tom Dunlop, Jacko Hemingway,
Angus Sidey, Matt Munro, Will
Smith, Curtis Millard.
Head coach named
for CBHS first XV
Andy Gibson has been
confirmed as the new head
coach of the Christchurch Boys’
High School first XV and will
be assisted by Pat Coady. Gibson
is an old boy of the school and
spent the last three years as the
coach of the Shirley Boys’ High
School first XV.
How to inject some life into the All Whites campaign
the four runners-up with the top
four points.
The third round sees two pools
of six teams play home and away,
meaning five home and five away
matches.
The top two from each group
then qualify for the World Cup,
while the two third place finishes
play each other for a inter-confederation
play-off tie.
Yes, it’s undoubtedly a much
harder route to the World Cup
but at least Joe Bloggs might
have a chance to pick up on a few
players names who play for the
All Whites and for once feel like
he a campaign worth jumping on
the bandwagon for.