Rugby's coaching merry-go-round

At the end of the World Cup, there were the big ten. The Six Nations, the Tri-Nations, and the rugby ‘island’ of Argentina.

There was also Fiji and Tonga, but given their respective achievements over the past few months, it is inconceivable that either of those should come under discussion in this column.

Fringe players have come and gone in the World Cup teams over the past few years, but the core squads of all of these teams have remained the same. Countless players from this World Cup will never grace that stage again. Pichot, Pelous, Dallaglio, Thomas, Gregan, Larkham, Oliver, Troncon, O’Connell, Murray…

The coaching circuit, also, has been devoid of turbulence. In many instances off the pitch as well as on it, the end of France 2007 has been the end of an era. Bernard Laporte has shuffled off after eight years, Italy’s resurgence under Pierre Berbizier – disappointing World Cup notwithstanding – is over, Graham Henry’s All Blacks are almost certainly now legend, Jake White’s political resistance has been quashed.

So what next for these people? And indeed, who could replace them? It’s possibly been the least-discussed, yet most intriguing, subject in the rugby world since John Smit hoisted ‘Bill’ not so many days ago.

Rugby has become more tactical than it used to be. Styles of play are more distinct from each other and homogenous within themselves. These days, a coach walks from team to team, often with his own style of how to play the game, and when he finds a club or national squad with enough players to fit in right, you watch the figures in the win column start rising.

It’s been Jake White’s blessing. White had a disproportionate number of monsters in his South Africa side, with few artisans outside them. White’s style suited it perfectly: bully and plunder. South Africa have, for much of the last four years, ground teams down before the scarce artizans – usually Du Preez or Habana – add the gloss finish to the undercoat near the end.

Apparently now, White has the choice between England or Australia. Australia? Australia with their feeble forwards and frail fly-half? Or England, with their steady production line of square-headed cyborgs?

It is England, and England’s style, that suits Jake White best. Assuming Brian Ashton is relieved of his duties, and there is little reason to think not at the moment, despite a World Cup final appearance, surely Jake White will choose the place where his style fits (and yes, where the money is better too).

What about Australia? Perhaps it doesn’t matter so much who takes the job on, as long as the new incumbent retains Scott Johnson. Johnson is no head coach, as Wales found out. He operates better on the periphery. But give him that freedom to coach his skills with a like-minded head to incorporate them into the tactics – say, David Nucifora for example, and Australia could break free of their shortcomings, much in the way that Wales did in 2005.

Wales? They desperately need someone pragmatic, untouchable to the local hacks who treat the rugby team so shamefully, and with the tactical nous of a Grand Master. Eddie Jones is heading quietly back to Saracens, having laid the ghosts of World Cup 2003 to rest. Nobody should be in any doubt as to Jones’ impression on the Bok team. The sudden improvement in discipline, the sudden quickness and organisation at the breakdown, the resilience to waves of pressure… Jones can coax that out of many a team. All three matters are high on the list of Wales’ shortcomings. Warren Gatland is in similar mould – but he may not endear himself to the Welsh public as Jones would – nothing to do with the name either!

Then there is the likely departure of Graham Henry from New Zealand. But he has a tailor-made successor in Robbie Deans. Nick Mallett is tactically astute enough to be able to develop Italy’s home-growns, and may even be belligerent enough to stop scouting for foreigners with bare droplets of Italian blood.

It remains to be seen what Marc Lievremont will do with France – out of all the teams, that is the one where the personnel and identity will change the most over the next 12 months. But his performance in bringing Dax back into the Top 14 against quite significant odds ought to be encouraging to the French public, and there is no doubting his passion.

Argentina are most at risk, status-wise, having lost their talisman coach to Leicester and captain to retirement. A generation of great players has passed on with them. But perhaps now is the time for the Pumas to look outside their own borders for leadership, to someone who can bring the sophistication to the national side that could see future teams with the quality of this year’s go all the way. The talent is there in spades, as the June Tests in South America frequently confirm. So they need a developer and a nurturer… perhaps Steve Hansen? Perhaps John Connolly also. Both old heads, both adept at bringing on the nippers in the team and carefully, patiently, and calmly creating settled consistency. Connolly might suit better, he has been round the block a few more times.

Scotland are in safe hands under Frank Hadden, and despite the World Cup disaster, the IRU is not likely to be getting shot of Eddie O’Sullivan any time soon, certainly not before the Six Nations anyway.

So here is a little synopsis of who might go/has gone where in the big ten over the next few months. All very intriguing, but the saddest by-product of it all will undoubtedly be in South Africa. There is nobody I know of who could do that job.

England: Brian Ashton out, Jake White in?
Wales: Gareth Jenkins out, Eddie Jones in?
Scotland: Frank Hadden, no change.
Ireland: Eddie O’Sullivan, no change.
France: Bernard Laporte out, Marc Lievremont in.
Italy: Pierre Berbizier out, Nick Mallett in.
Australia: John Connolly out, David Nucifora in?
New Zealand: Graham Henry out, Robbie Deans in?
Argentina: Marcelo Loffreda out, John Connolly in?
South Africa: Jake White out, political puppet in.

By Danny Stephens