All too clearly, Sir John Kirwan's tenure as coach of the Blues was not a success. Rumours about his future at the Super 15 franchise had, therefore, begun to circulate long before yesterday's resignation. As one of Auckland's favourite sons, he had promised to bring passion and pride, along with a solid coaching background, to the job. These he delivered, but they were not enough to turn around the Blues' fortunes.
That indicates it will take considerably more than the replacement of one man to turn the team into winners. The new coach must be but one aspect of a top-to-tail transformation. The drawn-out process that led to Sir John's departure revealed, for example, the untenable nature of the franchise's governance structure.
Then there are the clear shortcomings in the recruitment, development and retention of players from within the franchise area. And the failure to recruit effectively outside it. That has left the Blues without strong guidance in crucial positions, including halfback and first five-eighths.
The franchise's very name is also a problem. At the outset, it might have been imagined that the colour traditionally associated with Auckland rugby would suffice. But that line of thought turned to dust when other franchises came up with names like the Hurricanes and the Crusaders. In comparison, the Blues is anaemic. A more vibrant name will be the easy part. Thoroughgoing change will be more difficult but it must be tackled immediately if the new coach is to have a stronger hand than Sir John.
