Daryl Gibson: I don't know whether I would have taken the job
Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson has admitted he may not have signed up to lead the side three years ago if he knew what he was getting himself into.
In an interview with the Fox Rugby Podcast, Gibson opened up about his time as a professional coach.
After three years – and one title – under Michael Cheika, the 43-year-old took the reins in 2016 after the former joined the Wallabies setup.
Gibson’s first to years in charge were tumultuous. The Waratahs missed the playoffs in Gibson’s first year at the helm before suffering through their worst season in club history in 2017, notching just four wins and finishing in 16th.
Despite calls for Gibson’s head, the former All Black was given another chance to get the side moving in the right direction.
“They backed me last season off two pretty average, mediocre years,” Gibson told Fox Sports.
“I don’t know whether I would have taken the job when I look back.
“As much as it was a winning team, it was very much a team in transition in terms of the roster, the playing list.
“The systems and everything that goes with the experience of all your staff being in place had gone, disappeared.
“To put that back in place and to really, truly own it and do it the way I wanted to do it — it’s taken to this point just to get here.
“One of my goals as NSW coach is making sure that part of the legacy that I want to leave behind is all those development systems and positions that we have in our club, are filled and work regardless of who the head coach is.”
The Waratahs’ return to the finals has been built on a new found consistency; they have been beaten by more than 12 points just once this season.
Gibson believes the Waratahs are only now starting to play to their potential after regaining stability following Cheika’s departure.
With the benefit of hindsight, Gibson said he would have done things differently in those first two years in charge.
“If I had my time again, I probably would have been a little bit more patient,” Gibson said.
“I’ve learnt how important it is that the head coach is supported from an organisational view.
“Having incredible stability and direction — the CEO, the chairman, the captain, your support staff — all in place and being really stable and all aligned towards one direction and a firm direction.
“When I look back to 2015, when Cheik left to take on the Wallabies, he took six staff with him, which is a big hole to fill.
“At the time we had no CEO, no general manager — the ingredients that you need to be a really successful club weren’t in place and so we really were starting from a blank canvas.
“For some coaches that would be a really appealing thing, but I guess being inexperienced at that stage, I made some mistakes.
“When I reflect on that, I would have probably taken my time a little bit more and been far more considered with my moves.”
Gibson’s Waratahs finished the 2018 regular season as the best Australian team in Super Rugby, and were the side to break Australia’s two-year duck against New Zealand competition when they defeated the Highlanders in week 14.
Saturday night will see them host the Highlanders once again in just their second playoff appearance since their 2014 grand final win.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Forget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
164 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
164 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
164 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the deportation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
164 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
164 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
164 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
164 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
164 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
164 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
164 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
164 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
164 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
164 Go to comments