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'It will be a challenge for him': Why Wayne Pivac's opening match for Wales is one he can't afford to lose
Wayne Pivac goes under the white-hot scrutiny of coaching Wales when his new team takes on Warren Gatland’s UK Barbarians on Saturday in Cardiff.
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He is the fourth Kiwi coach to take the Red Dragons in 21 years. How will he go in comparison to Sir Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Gatland?
The latter offered guarded praise of his successor in the latest issue of Rugby News magazine:
“He’s been saying all the right things about not making too many changes and not trying to reinvent the wheel. He was successful at Scarlets and now he has a chance to coach a tier one nation. It will be a challenge for him, but he wants to add his own stamp and personality.”
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Pivac is a vastly experienced coach and was 2003 New Zealand Rugby coach of the year after taking Auckland to a third NPC title in five years. He is media-friendly and a lot of players have a lot of time for him and his methods.
The reality is that he should have earned a Super Rugby gig with the Blues several years ago, as his knowledge of players in that franchise’s catchment area was second to none, having coached all three provincial unions, Northland, Auckland and North Harbour.
But, as Pivac himself has told this scribe, the timing around Super Rugby never worked out. In 2014, he took up the job at Scarlets, doing good things with that proud region, including annexing a PRO14 crown in 2017. He surrounded himself with good local men, Stephen Jones among them.
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A current @wallabies player reportedly "burst into laughter" after being told a surprising revelation about @IzzyFolau.https://t.co/N9U3349P9R
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 29, 2019
The timing of his departure to Scarlets wasn’t flash, still contracted to Auckland at the time, but he could not sit around while the Blues job was still John Kirwan’s. Funnily enough, when Kirwan’s tenure ended in ignominy in 2015, a Pivac-Paul Feeney ticket, a partnership forged way back in their playing days at Takapuna, could have borne fruit from 2016. Instead, Tana Umaga got the nod after sterling work at Counties Manukau. Unfortunately, it did not end well and the Blues travails continue to this day.
Pivac was, like Hansen, a policeman, so he has learned to be a man manager and judge character. Hadleigh Parkes and others such as Johnny McNicholl speak highly of him. Parkes was a journeyman in New Zealand but he thrived at Scarlets under Pivac’s tutelage and is now an established international. McNicholl will became another Kiwi Red Dragon this weekend. Fine player that he is, he probably would not have been an All Black. Likewise Willis Halaholo, who was promoted from the Cardiff Blues, though now hit with an untimely injury.
Pivac has coached for nearly 30 years over all levels of the game, including guiding Fiji in 2004-07. He knows the game, he knows the players, and now he faces the ultimate litmus test with a tier one nation that is arguably more obsessive about the game than his native New Zealand.
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He has massive shoes to fill after 12 years of Gatland with Wales. Pivac is seven days older than Gatland. Both are members of the NZ Barbarians club. Both will adhere to the Baabaas’ open rugby philosophy this weekend. But only one of the two coaches badly needs the win. Wales must lay the foundation for the Six Nations this weekend, and Pivac must lay the marker for what he hopes will be a fruitful, not turbulent, time in the valleys.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
The game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
21 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
12 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
12 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
5 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
5 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
37 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
37 Go to comments