Pivac says time's right

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Mission accomplished, time to move on. Simple as that. Outgoing Auckland NPC coach Wayne Pivac yesterday made it clear there was no pressure either way from the Auckland Rugby Union for him to make a decision about his future.

"Our brief was to get Auckland back to No 1," Pivac said. "We did that."

He said suggestions that he decided to quit when the union advertised his job for next season were "way off the mark" and that it was more a case of the time being right to move on.

To where? That, he says, has yet to be decided. It could be another month before anything is signed.

With his assistant Grant Fox also stepping down, speculation is mounting on who will step into one of the plum jobs in New Zealand rugby.

Former coach Graham Henry is an obvious candidate, but he is in no hurry to make any decisions.

"We have just won a championship and really, I haven't given it much thought at this stage," said Henry, who had a successful reign as Auckland coach in the 1990s before heading to Wales.

"I'm contracted to the Auckland Rugby Union for the next two years."

Henry said he had enjoyed his two years working with Pivac, Fox and Peter Sloane and Bruce Robertson, and was keen to continue his work with the team who now hold the Super 12 and NPC first division titles, and the Ranfurly Shield.

Pivac said the ARU had been "up front" all along in discussing the situation with him.

"Just as I have been open and up front with them," he said. "They knew my position and once the Blues won the Super 12 it was clear Peter [Sloane] would stay in that job.

"The union and I have been discussing things at length for some time. The turning point was when the Blues job was not readvertised.

"I needed a guaranteed income and obviously a Super 12 was one of those options. There have been on-going discussions with the union.

"There have been no openings in the Super 12 and given the incumbent coaches, it might be a year or two before they become available."

Pivac, a full-time professional coach for the past five years, said he turned down an offer from Japan, but is not in a position, yet, to say where his future might lie. He did admit, however, he would head overseas.