Rugby: McGeechan on Auckland list

By Wynne Gray

Former Lions supremo Ian McGeechan is on an elite list for consideration as Auckland's next NPC rugby coach.

It is understood the original 26 applications were culled to a handful with interviews to be completed soon and a decision made early next week.

Only John Boe publicly revealed his intentions and with Auckland in need of a back coach to partner forward coach Wayne Pivac, Boe is bound to make the shortlist.

Whether McGeechan is still available is unclear but he inquired about the job.

"I have had discussions with him about the Auckland NPC job," ARU chief executive Geoff Hipkins confirmed yester-day.

However, Hipkins would not say whether he had approached McGeechan or whether the former Lions and Scots coach had contacted the ARU. Nor would Hipkins say if the final list had any overseas coaches left on it.

Interviews of those contenders would be completed by the full board of the ARU after the sacking last month of Jed Rowlands following his troubled Super12 campaign. Two recent Auckland rugby stars, Zinzan Brooke and Bernie McCahill, are home from Britain this weekend but that is coincidence and nothing more, according to ARU chairman Reuben O'Neill.

Brooke and McCahill were coming home to watch some rugby and their names were not on any interview list. Brooke still has another year to run on his contract as player-coach with Harlequins.

Meanwhile, Auckland will be coached by Pivac for next Tuesday's trial game against Northland at Whangarei.