KEY POINTS:
It's a treacherous path which Tana Umaga is about to travel. There are plenty of former players who have turned up in the coaching box having barely had time to kick off their boots. Most who have made the transition with such haste have struggled.
Good players don't
necessarily make good coaches. Think Wayne Shelford and John Kirwan - legends who went straight into coaching and came unstuck.
Umaga, undaunted by the low success rate of quick-converters, will give coaching a hurl at the ambitious Toulon club, where, though he is called general manager, he is actually a coach.
He could have stayed in Wellington, got involved lower down the coaching chain and progressed through the ranks. He didn't fancy it for the simple reason that it would keep him in his comfort zone.
He's taken the tougher option in much the same way another All Black skipper, Todd Blackadder, did when he went to Edinburgh. Blackadder is one of the few to make an instant success of coaching when he was, by a combination of circumstances and desire, pushed into positions with Edinburgh and Scotland.
Blackadder was measured, worked hard and took the view that the honesty and integrity he had shown as a player would see him through as a coach.
It shouldn't be too hard for Umaga to emulate the Blackadder coaching model. While they have different backgrounds and personalities, Umaga and Blackadder share the same core values.
What Blackadder did for Edinburgh was instil a mentality. He gave the players an understanding of professionalism. He showed them it wasn't about taking money - it was about preparation, commitment and the ability to consistently give your best and contribute to the team.
Blackadder initially focused on the big picture, leaving the technical and tactical detail to others who were far better equipped.
Umaga already appears to be thinking along similar lines. He's taking support staff from Wellington to work as defensive and fitness coaches. He's retained some long-serving Toulon stalwarts, men who know French rugby and maybe more importantly, men he trusts to translate his words while he gets to grips with the language.
He's also vetoed the recruitment of some players and sanctioned the chasing of others. George Gregan, Andrew Mehrtens and Anton Oliver all got the big tick.
Umaga had a lucrative short-term playing stint there last year and fell in love with the place. It pushed him outside his comfort zone and he relished the challenge.
With the French club season starting in October after the World Cup, Umaga needs to be on the ground by August, overseeing pre-season and early preparations.
He'll play his 100th game for the Lions on August 11 against Manawatu and then head to France. That will be a special night. It will bring down the curtain on one of the finest people the game has produced.
Here's hoping the next chapter in the Umaga story is just as compelling.
