Chris Rattue: Out-of-touch Taylor left behind

Ross Taylor was our premier batsman for a long time.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, at a crucial time, he seems to be having an identity crisis, struggling with the new world, the new order. Taylor's class has carried him through until now, but when his form struck a bump, insecurities bubbled over.

For Taylor, the captaincy has gone and so have the mantles. Kane Williamson has overtaken him as New Zealand's No1 batsman. Experts say Williamson will become an all-time great, the best we've ever had, reminding Taylor it is a place he never quite got to. When it comes to ripping teams apart, Brendon McCullum leads the way, and relative greenhorns down the order smash the ball into a pavilion the way Taylor can't any more.

Taylor's captaincy has been obliterated by the reign of his usurper, McCullum, whose exploits are so impressive they have been recognised beyond cricket's boundaries. The new era Taylor is part of is putting the old one he led in the shade. I wonder if he feels hidden in plain sight, his long and superb contribution undervalued in front of the largest home audience ever.

Most people operate best when they know their position in any community or hierarchy and maybe Taylor can't work out where he fits in. Maybe the history between coach Mike Hesson and Taylor over the captaincy change makes it impossible to build total trust and confidence between them, a situation never fully resolved.

Taylor wouldn't be alone as an ageing employee feeling anxious in a changing workplace. The world marches on. Young bucks are rising and he's not the flavour of the month any more. The mind's tape loop won't be silenced - will the great days ever come back?

Taylor is struggling in the World Cup and he didn't look on top of the situation or to be enjoying his latest innings against Bangladesh. Taylor, it can be surmised, is distracted and not fully in the moment and this led to the selfish use of a decision review when he didn't have a case. So, is this the beginning of the end for Taylor, or another period of readjustment?

There is a lot of well deserved and reasoned defence/praise of Taylor and he deserves that faith and support. But from a layman's simple perspective Taylor looks strangely uncomfortable, and not well placed to deal with what lies ahead. As a big fan of his, I'd love to be proved wrong.

Phoenix rise to top
Wow. The Phoenix hit the top of the A-league table over the weekend. The scene is set for a repeat of that wondrous season, under Ricki Herbert, when the Wellington-based side captured the country's imagination on a dramatic end-of season run which made players like Tim Brown household names.

Coach Ernie Merrick has delivered in virtually every way possible, quickly constructing a winning and entertaining side, making excellent overseas signings and elevating players from the domestic league who have become vital cogs. Merrick comes across as a tough character with a sense of humour, one who doesn't muck the public and media around. You get the feeling that his players genuinely trust him.

Blues blown away
From the great All Blacks don't make great coaches department ... it was another terrible weekend for Sir John Kirwan and his misfiring Blues.

A team stacked with running power was outgunned by the Hurricanes even though the home side was a little sloppy. Two other New Zealand teams had extremely significant wins while the Crusaders were not at their best in dismantling the Lions, the South African strugglers who beat the Blues at Albany.

Chris Boyd and John Plumtree's arrival at the Hurricanes reveals how quickly new coaches can turn a team around just as Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith did at the Chiefs. Kirwan has had ample time to make a mark. He was always a bad choice as coach - he had no outstanding record to speak of, his stints with battlers Japan and Italy were irrelevant to coaching a Super team, and he skipped a proper coaching education in this country. For all that his many fans wanted JK to succeed, most can see past the excuses.

Kirwan got the job in the first place because of his fame, and the job has proved beyond him. A final observation - while New Zealand coaches dominate the world scene, none were All Black legends and many not even test players.

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