Rugby: Green shoots of hope for Blues

Tana Umaga says h's 'living the dream every day' as Blues coach. Photo / Photosport

In a revealing interview with Patrick McKendry, Blues coach and former All Black captain Tana Umaga reviews his season and talks about the importance of family, his dislike of excercise and what keeps him young.

Tana Umaga doesn't look like his second season with the Blues has just finished with one of the worst losses in their history. One that was, typically, preceded by one of the franchise's greatest triumphs.

Umaga looks fresh and happy and sounds it, too, in a long interview with the Herald this week in which he says he hopes to be at the franchise for as long as it takes to enjoy success.

Given the inconsistency of the Blues in the past 15 years, corroborated by that stunning reversal against the Sunwolves following a win over the British and Irish Lions, coaching them must be among the most stressful jobs in rugby, but the former All Blacks captain shows few signs of ageing. He appears far younger than his 44 years.

There are no grey hairs in those famous dreadlocks. The key, he says, is diet and retaining a positive attitude.

He hates training, and always has, even as an All Black figurehead who played 74 tests for his country. He feels being active and on his feet while the Blues train for seven or eight months of the year is nearly enough for him. He also survives on a maximum of six hours sleep a night.

Often he will get far less than that, waking at 4.30am with an idea he must jot down before it goes and at that time of the morning, he might as well get up anyway.

"I'm usually up around 4.30 or 5," Umaga says. "I think [England coach] Eddie Jones and even [former All Blacks coach] Ted [Graham Henry], they live on four or five hours sleep and they look pretty healthy.

"That's pretty normal, I think - no, I shouldn't say that - I get six [hours], on a good day."

Told he still looks young, he says: "That's what I keep hearing and what my kids keep telling me. When you're happy . . . I think the stress is squeezed out of me by my kids. I've got nothing to be sad about. I know how to deal with tough times - we all have them."

As has sadly become traditional at a franchise that has won three titles but nothing since 2003, there were tough times again this year.

The Blues finished ninth - an improvement on Umaga's first year in 2016 when they came 11th, and their best placing since 2011, when they were beaten in the semifinals by the Reds, the eventual champions. Umaga's men showed grit in winning in Canberra and Sydney on successive weekends but struggled against the New Zealand teams.

In their derby matches, their best result was a 16-16 draw with the Chiefs, a week after their controversial defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town, but they should have won that game at Eden Park, a disappointment which characterised a team that, as ever, had an abundance of talent but couldn't deliver.

"On the field, results-wise, it wasn't what we wanted, but in terms of the advancement of our game and our players' knowledge of our game, we've definitely made steps there," Umaga says.

"It's little things letting us down - usually it's decision making which ends up costing us some games. Obviously the way we finished wasn't ideal and it made us look at where we're going, but we can't let that derail us from what we think was a pretty positive season when you look at the big picture."

In the aftermath of their 48-21 defeat by the Sunwolves in Tokyo, Umaga blamed himself, but it was probably an attempt to protect his players, many of who suffered badly in the temperatures at pitch-side recorded at 44 degres.

"I'm probably one of those who points the finger at myself more than anyone else. We thought we'd done everything we could. What could we have done better? Maybe tell players not to go out in the heat all week, to stay in their room . . . but you don't want to keep the boys bottled up in the hotel.

"The conditions were the hottest I've ever had to deal with, as a coach or a player. It was tough . . . maybe we can help other teams going into that situation because player safety is so important."

Were his players upset at the collapse? "Very. We understood this was the sort of game which could trip you up. We had four weeks off and were up against the team coming last in the competition. The motivating factors aren't really there - the disappointment of not making the playoffs and coming off a high [of the win over the Lions], we talked about that, about it being an important game for us."

The season highlight for Umaga came in the weeks leading up to the Lions victory at Eden Park, dramatically sealed by Ihaia West's late converted try. The Blues did well to beat the Brumbies and Waratahs away, return home to beat the Cheetahs, perform well against the Stormers at Newlands in a game marked by the incompetence of the match
officials, draw with the Chiefs, beat the Reds in Apia and returned to beat Warren Gatland's tourists.

"For me, that period was quite positive for us," Umaga says. "All of those short turnarounds, the guys just got on and did the job. Mostly we got what we wanted . . . South Africa, there was a bit of an issue there, but some things are out of your hands.
"That's probably what hurts so much about that last game - you do all that and then you finish in a way that probably doesn't show all that hard work."

Umaga says there are one or two spots to fill in his squad of 32 for next season, the last on his current contract, but almost certainly not his final at the franchise.

Beating the Lions was a major highlight for the Blues this season.

The green shoots of improvement are there and he deserves the benefit of the doubt even if his side don't make the playoffs next year, a position hinted at recently by CEO Michael Redman.

Much will depend on the performance of Otere Black, a first-five who will arrive from the Hurricanes as the Blues' first-choice No 10 and a 22-year-old whom Umaga believes has great potential.

"Otere knows Super Rugby, he knows the pressures that come on," Umaga says. "He's been able to learn that at the Hurricanes and he's learned it from some of the best. Now it's him taking on that mantle here as No 1."

Decision making and leadership are all under spotlight at the Blues, with Umaga saying he hadn't decided on his skipper for next year. Hooker James Parsons has filled the role the past two seasons with help from Jerome Kaino.

"James has been a great skipper for us these last two seasons - setting standards off and on the field and understanding our game, he's a great deliverer of what we want to achieve and he's passionate about the club," Umaga says. "But all these things are under review."

His own role will be under review soon enough, but Umaga says he hasn't given that much thought. He wants to stay with the Blues, hopes to continue his involvement with the New Zealand Maori team should the incoming coach want him, and clearly wouldn't say no to a role with the All Blacks at some point.

"I'm like anyone, you always want to go as far as you can in anything you do. That has to be a driving factor. We tell our players not to just settle - push yourself. To be honest, the Maori and the Blues . . . I love what I do - I'm living the dream every day. My wife still thinks I don't work, she wonders where I go during the day. She knows I love my job.

"You don't want to become comfortable because when you do, you become complacent and you're not striving to be better or learn. I always want to be better at what I do. I just hope that it allows me to be here for as long as it takes for us to fulfil what we want to do as a club and region."

Umaga's wife Rochelle and their four children are a shut-off valve for him. Rugby is always on his mind but he tries to switch off once he gets home.

"When they go to bed, I'm back into rugby mode and my wife talks to me a lot and I don't listen a lot. She reminds me that I'm not paying attention. And that's an
important thing, too. Look, I wouldn't be where I am without my wife and kids. That's all I need in terms of a break.

"When you go home, you're just 'dad'. I enjoy that - kisses and cuddles, they take away all the stresses. I'm very fortunate in that respect. I've got a fiercely loyal family. They ride those waves with you as well and they have their opinions, too. I don't have to read the media because they tell me what I should be doing. I have my harshest critics in my house and sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not."

And, despite getting up at what many people would think is an ungodly hour, you won't find Umaga at the gym or pounding the streets.

"No. I don't like training," he says. "Diet is definitely the key, and I have an eye for unhealthy food. That's what I learned from rugby. I can either train to keep fit or watch what I eat. I get a lot of exercise being on my feet and walking around. I'm always challenging our strength and conditioning coaches - 'what's the minimum amount of time to get the maximum benefits?' Ten minutes is all I need to stay healthy and they laugh at me [but] I'm not running marathons.

"I wasn't the best trainer. It was a means to an end for me but I knew if I was going to do it, I had to do it well. Balance in life is key - making sure you don't go too far and enjoying what you do. I try to keep pretty level."