Rugby: Rowlands' big day in with the bosses

By Wynne Gray

While most of the country's rugby focus next Monday will be on the All Black squad, there will also be some lengthy scrutiny on the debut Super 12 work of Auckland Blues coach Jed Rowlands.

Rowlands has three presentations to make that day, first to New Zealand Rugby Union officials, then the Blues management group before delivering his last assessment to the board of the Auckland Rugby Union.

Those reports are a regular annual exercise for the coaching staff from each franchise.

The coach's opening two reports clearly will have some bearing on his bid for Super 12 reappointment next season while the final discussion will be part of the ARU's review on Rowland's NPC appointment.

ARU chairman Reuben O'Neill has stated that Rowlands was appointed as Auckland NPC coach "subject to review" and an evaluation of some of those performance criteria will happen on Monday.

Meanwhile, the regular NZRFU assessments on the Super 12 franchises began with the Wellington Hurricanes last week and shifted to the Blues this week - where the players and management hold debriefings.

"It is a set format which involves a total look at every franchise," NZRFU chief executive David Moffett said.

Once all the franchise data had been collected, applications for Super 12 coaches would be asked for in early June. It was hoped that the successful applicants would be announced in July, decisions which would be made by the new administrative structures planned for each franchise.

"Like all previous appointments, we will expect them to be the result of unanimous agreement," said Moffett.

Rowlands took over as head coach of the Blues when the position became vacant after Graham Henry left to coach Wales. Rowlands won a four-way scrap for the top job, with Mac McCallion staying as a fourth year assistant.

If a similar scenario was repeated in other franchises, Moffett said a change of NZRFU policy would mean both the jobs of head coach and assistant would come up for re-selection.