Aussie McLean to be added to ABs coaching team

McLean to join coaching staff

BRUCE MERCER/Fairfax NZ

ASSISTANT: Aussie McLean is to be appointed to the All Blacks' coaching staff.

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Aussie McLean will be appointed to the All Blacks coaching staff today to complete "Canterbury's" complete domination of the positions of power in New Zealand rugby.

The province is home to the New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Mike Eagle, All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen, All Blacks manager Darren Shand and captain Richie McCaw.

The New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew also cut his teeth in the province.

McLean – Australian-born but Wellington raised – has spent most of his adult life in Christchurch and brought his family home to the city this year after several years in exile coaching the Hurricanes and Wellington Lions.

Tew is a Wellingtonian by nurture but honed his rugby administration skills in his five-year tenure as Canterbury Rugby Football Union and Crusaders chief executive where he formed key relationships with Eagle (then CRFU chairman) and Hansen (Crusaders and Canterbury assistant-coach).

Eagle, the Canterbury and Crusaders chairman before joining the NZRU board, has heard the good-natured jibes from rival provinces.

"But, it's easy when you've had success ... I just go back to people like the Hurricanes and say, `Even if you win one Super Rugby title, you've got another six to catch up'.

"They say it now but it's more of a joke. They say, `Look at Canterbury, you've got all the coaches'.

"But they don't get there by accident. These guys are there because they're best at it and they've come through an organisation where they understand what it means, what you need to get successful.

"Once you get a thing rolling it's an attitude thing. People learn from other people. They see what it means, this is what you do to be good and just follow it. It's not rocket science."

Eagle believes the catalyst was the end of the Canterbury Rugby Shield era in 1985 when people such as Wayne Smith, Deans and Hansen emerged to become leading coaches in the professional rugby ranks.

Add McLean to that list. The former Canterbury B fullback was inspired to take up coaching by Hansen's father, Des, his coach at the Marist club where the present All Blacks head honcho played alongside him in the green-and-white backline.

McLean, 58, began his Canterbury coaching career 25 years ago in 1986. He was in charge of representative age-group teams before becoming Vance Stewart's assistant with the Canterbury senior team between 1993 and 1995. He was Crusaders' assistant-coach in 1996, the first Super rugby campaign but was replaced by Steve Hansen as Canterbury assistant that same season. Undeterred, McLean continued to coach at lower levels and returned as Hansen's assistant when Canterbury won the 2001 national provincial championship and retained the Ranfurly Shield in superb style.

He took over as head coach when Hansen left for Wales in 2002 and won the title in 2004 before leaving Christchurch to assist Colin Cooper at the Hurricanes in 2006.

McLean had several years in the Hurricanes role and was also head coach of the Wellington Lions when they made the Air New Zealand Cup final in 2007, losing 23-14 to Auckland.

A NZRU resource coach, McLean coached the New Zealand under-19s to three world titles and was a technical adviser to Samoa at this year's World Cup. He is not likely to come in as the All Blacks' backs coach – that job is expected to go to former Chiefs coach Ian Foster.

Mick Byrne – a former Australian Rules footballer known as Mick the Kick – is expected to get wider responsibilities with the forward pack after being contracted by Graham Henry as a skills coach.

* This story has been changed to show that Wellington did not win the Air New Zealand Cup final in 2007. They lost to Auckland 23-14.

- © Fairfax NZ News