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'I just wonder if Jamie Joseph might be on the radar'

By Online Editors
Jamie Joseph

On Thursday evening, the Highlanders announced that head coach Aaron Mauger would be parting ways with the Super Rugby franchise.

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The Highlanders achieved two quarter-final finishes in the first two years of Mauger’s regime but were hit hard in the latest off-season, losing the likes of Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo and Luke Whitelock overseas.

Those losses left Mauger with a massive rebuild on his hands and the early season results weren’t especially favourable, with the Highlanders booking a sole victory from four attempts. The former All Blacks midfielder appeared to turn things around before Super Rugby Aotearoa kicked off, however, and the Highlanders picked up three wins from their eight matches.

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That evidently wasn’t a good enough turn around for the Highlanders powers that be, however, and New Zealand’s southernmost franchise is now on the lookout for a new head coach.

Assistants Clarke Dermody and Tony Brown will remain on the books, but former Highlanders coach Laurie Mains has suggested that the best man to take over the team could be the only man that’s ever led the team to a Super Rugby championship.

“I just wonder with Japan really winding back their activities in rugby, I just wonder if Jamie Joseph might be on the radar, given that him and Tony Brown have proved to be a formidable combination,” Mains said.

Mains coached the Highlanders for two years in the early 2000 – almost ten years after he’d last coached the New Zealand nation side.

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Following last year’s incredibly successful Rugby World Cup, Japan’s Top League has attracted massive crowds. The season was called off earlier this year due to COVID-19 and the Sunwolves have also played their final Super Rugby season.

There are suggestions that even next year’s Top League competition could be threatened by the coronavirus pandemic.

Joseph has remained head coach of the Japanese national side following last year’s quarter-final finish at the World Cup and previously coached the Highlanders from 2011 until 2016, winning the Super Rugby title in 2015.

While the Highlanders would no doubt love to bring Joseph back to New Zealand, the coach has previously spoken of how much he enjoys taking charge of the Brave Blossoms – and turned down the opportunity to interview for the All Blacks coaching role due to his loyalties to Japan.

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“The decision was really difficult,” Joseph told the Otago Daily Times earlier this year. “In hindsight, I feel that the landscape for coaches overseas has really changed, there’s a lot of New Zealand coaches that are coaching all over the world, and the process in New Zealand didn’t really allow me to consider it seriously enough.

“What I mean by that is, applying for a job and applying for a job at the same time you’re applying for another job doesn’t show much loyalty.

“I guess one of those values that we [Joseph and Tony Brown] learned at Otago back in the day when we were coming up through the ranks was loyalty is a big factor, just because it is professional, for me it’s really important.”

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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