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Former All Black Simon Mannix has fallen on his own sword at struggling Top 14 outfit
Former All Black Simon Mannix has quit as sporting director of French Top 14 side Pau. The players were informed that Mannix had handed in his resignation on Tuesday morning. His last match in charge was Saturday’s 71-21 hammering at La Rochelle.
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Mannix – who had been in charge at the club since joining from Munster in 2014, guiding them to the ProD2 championship in his first season in charge – had one year left on his current contract,
With four rounds of the regular Top 14 season to go, Pau currently languish in 11th place, just six points out of relegation danger following seven wins and 15 defeats.
“I had never seen such a score, as a player or coach,” Mannix admitted after Saturday’s defeat. “It’s so hard. I have no explanation. It is a feeling of total shame. It’s really hard, but together, we’re going get out of this crap.”
In a club statement on Tuesday morning following urgent meetings that led to his resignation, Mannix said: “In view of the latest performances, it is better for the club to consider a change that could lead to positive results, it is with this in mind that I have decided to leave my position as sports director.
Communiqué officiel de la Section Paloise Béarn Pyrénées : départ de Simon Mannix 👉 https://t.co/BDrgi7Lovj pic.twitter.com/ZcR1ilUCpZ
— Section Paloise Béarn Pyrénées (@SectionPaloise) April 16, 2019
“As I leave the team management today, I can see the tremendous progress this club has made over the past five years. My team and I had the mission to bring Pau back into the French rugby elite after a nine-year absence in Top 14. This challenge was met in the first season, 2014/15, during which we proved that we were competitive.
“During these five years, I have dedicated my life to the club and I am humbly grateful to all my team for their work, professionalism and confidence in the project we started five years ago.
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“The president of the club, Bernard Pontneau, has been an immense mentor to me during these years… and I would like to thank him infinitely for having given me all his confidence and this opportunity to make all these positive changes in recent years.
#TOP14 | J22
C'est le moment de faire les comptes et de regarder le classement à l'issue de cette 22e journée ! 🧐 pic.twitter.com/Pojoa9gCl9
— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) April 14, 2019
“The same is true for our main sponsor, Total, it has been very rewarding to have received such professional support and positive influence.
“I wish Bernard, the staff and all the players of Pau all the success they deserve for the future and I thank them for having accompanied me in this adventure at the highest level of French rugby.
“The Top 14 is one of the best championships in the world and I am proud to have been able to contribute to the training of so many French rugby players who I am sure will play an important role in the national team.”
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#GIF #Philouterie #TOP14 @philousports sait reconnaître les grands numéros 10 ! 🤣
« Même numero même plat du pied, Zinedine West » ⚽🎯 pic.twitter.com/vjKPXM4Y78— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) April 13, 2019
Before taking charge at Pau, then a ProD2 side, in 2014, Mannix had been backs coach at Munster from 2012, and had helped guide Racing 92 (then Racing Metro) back to the top flight in 2009 during a five-year stint as backs coach at the club between 2006 and 2001.
Pau club president Pontneau added: “Simon Mannix’s decision is marked by courage and exemplary dignity. This is a painful sequence for the club, which has lost a great technician with a rare and valuable expertise in French rugby.”
Former Brive coach Nicolas Godignon, who joined the club following Carl Hayman’s departure earlier this season, will take charge for the final four matches. He will be supported by defence coach Fred Manca, and defence coach Conrad Smith.
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Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
24 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
24 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
1 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
24 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments