1
Wallabies see red but survive Osaka thriller
5
{{item.n}}
The adults are now in charge of the All Blacks
18 Comments
Share 
It’s nice to see a few adults in charge.
Sure, it was probably inevitable that Neil Barnes would join Dave Rennie’s All Blacks coaching group, but it’s welcome news nonetheless.
Super Rugby – and by extension the All Blacks – has become a place for too many apprentice coaches of late. Men with little background or success at any level of the game who suddenly find themselves in positions way above their station.
Not so Rennie and definitely not Barnes, either. Barnes is steeped in coaching, from club to provincial, Super and Test level. Like Rennie, with whom he’s had a long association, Barnes has learned his trade and made his mistakes at lower echelons of the game.
He won’t come to the All Blacks wondering if he’s up to it or what to do.
This is the true New Zealand model in action. Or at least the one that served us so well for so long.
While Barnes is the senior assistant coach on Rennie’s staff, I accept that it’s new defence coach Tana Umaga who’ll generate the most headlines.
That’s fine, I guess. The man is an iconic figure, from both playing and cultural perspectives.
When you write about rugby for a living, you get surrounded by rugby people on a continual basis. Most are fairly unremarkable, to be quite honest.
Umaga’s not. The man has a unique and significant presence and you definitely know when he’s in the room.
Is he a great coach? It’s hard to say. Rennie will know.
The main thing is that Umaga has been given a specific job and that there will be significant oversight from Rennie and Barnes. It’s up to them to ensure Umaga is implementing the plans they’ve put in place.
I’m sure some will like to make mileage from Umaga’s Samoan heritage, as they have with Rennie’s Cook Islands background.
I’ve written before that the All Blacks management should better reflect the make up of the playing group and I stand by that. But what’s important for the All Blacks now is having experienced, capable men in charge.
I look at what Rennie’s assembled here and I see merit, not cultural considerations. These are good men for a big job.
Whether someone is the first this or the first that or has broken through this glass ceiling or that glass ceiling is of secondary significance here. It should be noted, which I’ve done, but it’s all about wins and performances now.
I look at Rennie, Barnes, Umaga, the retained forwards coach Jason Ryan and attack coach Mike Blair and I feel more confident that the All Blacks are equipped for success than I did when Scott Robertson was running the cutter.
I doubt the inmates will be running the asylum anymore.
Authority matters. Rennie, Barnes and Umaga are men of stature. Respect is hard won and easily lost, but these coaches have a headstart over their predecessors.
For a so-called serious rugby nation, New Zealand had a pretty unserious coaching staff for the last couple of seasons.
I wrote last week that the identity of Rennie’s assistants wasn’t of the utmost importance, given the leadership qualities of the man himself. I genuinely think he could make things work with any assistants, such are his characteristics as a man and coach.
But the group he’s assembled is enthusing and I congratulate New Zealand Rugby as well, for hiring the right guy and giving him the able lieutenants he was after.
I’m looking forward to the start of the test season now.
