Aussie slips into top Blues role

New coach David Nucifora aims to build greater cohesion in the Blues, saying he has detected a "fractured" approach within the franchise.

The Blues broke new ground yesterday, appointing the 43-year-old Australian as head coach for two seasons. As a result, he will not have any role with the Auckland NPC side.

Nucifora, who guided the Brumbies to the 2004 Super 12 title in highly controversial circumstances, becomes the first foreign coach of a New Zealand team in the competition, now expanded to the Super 14.

The former Wallaby hooker replaces Peter Sloane, who reached the high of a title and the lows of failing to make the semifinals in his four-year stint.

Former Bay of Plenty backs coach Joe Schmidt has been retained as the Blues assistant coach.

Chief executive David White said: "David has a proven track record as a coach and made an important contribution [as technical adviser] this year. Joe, in his first year with the Blues, proved himself at this level and we expect him to continue to develop."

This does not quite reflect what happened this season, when the Blues bombed again. However, Nucifora said his first season enabled him to understand the Blues set-up without the head coach pressure.

He believed this initial role might also have dampened down the potential controversy of a foreign coach being appointed, as happened when John Mitchell took charge in Perth.

"I'll find out in the next few days what people think of an Australian coach," he said.

"But I congratulate New Zealand and the Blues for this attitude - the game has been professional for 10 years and you appoint who you believe is best for the job.

"You don't make sweeping statements when you get a new job. But it's fair to say that for a team from this part of the world to have won only one title in seven years, with only one final appearance, is disappointing.

"We need to get a continuity that flows from year to year and team to team. I do detect that it is a bit fractured between the NPC and the Super 12. People here talk about campaigns a lot but this era is about ongoing development.

"We need closer communication between teams so the players know what is expected.

"If we can agree we can start to pull together a style of football which makes the jobs of the players easier. That way they are not going from one style to another in a matter of weeks."