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Thread: Nucifora's Wallabies hopes in NZ hands

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    Nucifora's Wallabies hopes in NZ hands

    Nucifora's Wallabies hopes in NZ hands
    By RUPERT GUINNESS - SMH | Thursday, 06 December 2007
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/4314254a1823.html


    David Nucifora believes he wouldn't have any problem keeping one foot on either side of the Tasman if he is appointed the next Wallabies coach - but he admits the experience would be "interesting".

    That's because Nucifora still wants to coach the Blues in next year's Super 14, even if he gets the Wallabies job.

    "It's not too tricky ... it would be interesting … yeah," said Nucifora after a Sanzar practical session at Coogee Oval on the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) to be used in the 2008 tournament.

    If Nucifora does get the nod from the Australian Rugby Union over Ewen McKenzie, Alan Jones, Laurie Fisher and John Muggleton - and possibly Robbie Deans - he will still need the support of the New Zealand Rugby Union, having signed a new two-year contract with the NZRU in June to stay at the Blues.

    The ARU has stated that if the candidate it unveils - potentially after next Friday's ARU board meeting in Sydney - is a Super 14 coach, he will be allowed to continue his Super 14 commitments.

    "The Blues are keen for me to stay. The ARU have said they are happy, if a Super 14 coach gets the job, [for them] to do their job. I am happy to do that," Nucifora said.

    "It will be up to the New Zealand Rugby Union to ultimately make the decision because they are my employer."

    The former Wallabies hooker also offered his best wishes to potentially one of his main rivals for the Australian coaching job - Deans, the New Zealand coach of the Canterbury Crusaders. Naturally, his support was not for Deans securing the Wallabies job, but the All Blacks head coach position. Deans will be interviewed for that post today, along with with Graham Henry, Colin Cooper and Ian Foster.

    "I hope he does go well. You admire people who have been successful and he has been incredibly successful," Nucifora said.

    "If that is the job he wants, I think he will present himself well."

    But if Deans is named Wallabies coach, he would not begrudge him.

    "I'm a professional coach. They will make their decision on what they think is the best thing for Australian rugby," he said.

    Nucifora also spoke of how much he wanted the job.

    "It means a great deal to me, to be honest," he said. "You want to constantly test yourself at the highest level in whatever you do.

    "That is what most of us play and coach for. We like the competition. We like to compete at the highest level and like to test ourselves as players and coaches."

    He would not elaborate on his plan for the Wallabies other than to say: "The teams I have been involved in have played a fairly open, attractive brand of football. I don't really see a need to go away from that."

    As for the possibility of coaching players from the Brumbies, where his controversial departure in 2004 was the result of player power, Nucifora said he would welcome the opportunity.

    Most of the Brumbies who played under Nucifora were in the early stages of their careers then and not involved in his shock axing. They include Wallabies Stirling Mortlock, Mark Chisholm, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, Nic Henderson, Matt Henjak, Clyde Rathbone, Guy Shepherdson and George Smith.

    "I don't think there is anything to clear. A lot of those players I still see around the traps obviously," he said.

    "A lot of those boys were just starting their career in my last year at the Brumbies. A lot of them have done very well since that time as well. It will be quite nice to catch up and have something to do with them again."

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    Deans keeping quiet

    December 07, 2007

    NEW Zealand super-coach Robbie Deans is yet to show his hand on whether he wants the Wallabies top job after being overlooked for the All Blacks post.

    Deans is now the odds-on favourite to succeed John Connolly as Australian coach following the New Zealand Rugby Union's surprise decision to retain Graham Henry as All Blacks mentor.

    The Crusaders coach, who has led the Canterbury franchise to a record six Super 12/14 titles, was the preferred option of Australian Rugby Union supremo John O'Neill before pulling out of the race to chase the Kiwi job.

    Deans is giving little away when asked about his interest in becoming Australia's first foreign coach.

    "I've just been concentrating on this opportunity. I don't know what will happen in that space," he said.

    Auckland-based former Brumbies coach David Nucifora was the favourite before today, ahead of NSW's Ewen McKenzie and radio broadcaster Alan Jones.

    Deans is contracted to coach the Crusaders next season and said he was keen to throw himself back into that role with immediate effect.

    "It's been a challenging couple of weeks so I owe it to the (Crusaders) group to get back and get stuck in," he said.

    "I feel like I've neglected them a little bit in the last couple of weeks ... it will be good to get back and get on with that program.”

    AAP

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    Deans becomes Wallabies coach favourite

    December 7, 2007 - 12:16PM

    New Zealand super-coach Robbie Deans is yet to show his hand on whether he wants the Wallabies top job after being overlooked for the All Blacks post.

    Deans is now the odds-on favourite to succeed John Connolly as Australian coach following the New Zealand Rugby Union's surprise decision to retain Graham Henry as All Blacks mentor.

    The Crusaders coach, who has led the Canterbury franchise to a record six Super 12/14 titles, was the preferred option of Australian Rugby Union supremo John O'Neill before pulling out of the race to chase the Kiwi job.

    Deans gave little away when asked about his interest in becoming Australia's first foreign coach.

    "I've just been concentrating on this opportunity. I don't know what will happen in that space," he told reporters in New Zealand.

    "I don't know whether it's still available. I don't know, you would have to talk to them (the ARU).

    "As I've said you just deal with everything as you're confronted with it."

    New Zealand's decision to re-appoint Henry is timely for the ARU as its nine-man board meets next Friday to decide the preferred candidate from a five-man short-list.

    Auckland-based former Brumbies coach David Nucifora was the favourite before Friday, ahead of NSW's Ewen McKenzie and radio broadcaster Alan Jones.

    Deans is contracted to coach the Crusaders next season and said he was keen to throw himself back into that role with immediate effect.

    "It's been a challenging couple of weeks so I owe it to the (Crusaders) group to get back and get stuck in," he said.

    "I feel like I've neglected them a little bit in the last couple of weeks ... it will be good to get back and get on with that program.

    "I'd like to coach the All Blacks one day, obviously, but for now that's not the case. I've got a great job to go back to so I'm looking forward to that."

    NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said a decision was yet to be made whether Deans or Nucifora would be released from their Super 14 posts if appointed to coach the Wallabies.

    Henry, the first All Blacks coach to keep his job after a failed World cup campaign, admitted his controversial reconditioning program which sidelined NZ's top 22 players for the first half of the 2007 Super 14 was a mistake.

    "In hindsight that was a mistake," he said.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Burgs View Post
    Henry, the first All Blacks coach to keep his job after a failed World cup campaign, admitted his controversial reconditioning program which sidelined NZ's top 22 players for the first half of the 2007 Super 14 was a mistake.

    "In hindsight that was a mistake," he said.
    no shit Sherlock

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    ARU leave door open for Deans

    December 07, 2007

    THE Australian Rugby Union has not approached Robbie Deans but is leaving the door open for the Crusaders coach to make a late bid for the Wallabies top job.

    The NZRU's choice to retain Graham Henry has seen Deans installed as $1.50 favourite, ahead of David Nucifora ($3), by sports bookmakers to become Australia's first foreign coach.

    A six-man selection committee is set to choose its preferred candidate to succeed John Connolly in the next six days, before tabling a report with the ARU board, which will meet over two days in Sydney.

    Although five Australian candidates have already been interviewed, ARU deputy chief executive Matt Carroll said the national body remained committed to finding the best man for the job.

    "The board will consider the report from the selection committee and will decide on the next step in the process, be that an appointment or further deliberation," he said.

    "If Robbie Deans was to express an interest in the post given his change in circumstances then that would be a matter for the board's consideration.”

    AAP

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