Keane secures top-coach role

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Kieran Keane has been confirmed as the Tasman Makos rugby coach for the next two seasons after beating his former co-coaching partner, Bevan Cadwallader, to the top spot.

His appointment was announced by Tasman Rugby Union (TRU) chief executive Peter Barr after a review process.

Keane is promoted to head coach and unlike last year, it will be a fulltime coaching role.

The former All Black was over the moon about his appointment when spoken to at his home in Waikawa Bay yesterday.

"Absolutely delighted. Terribly thrilled. It's a bit of an honour. This organisation is a really good one and I'm really pleased to be part of it.

"The faith they have shown in me will be reciprocated by me and the team. We will work really hard to do well for our provinces [Marlborough and Nelson Bays]."

Despite several players having left from last season, notably skipper Andrew Goodman, hooker Quentin MacDonald, props Sakaria Taulafo and Tristan Moran, and halfback Kahn Fotuali'i, the latter having moved to Hawke's Bay, Keane was upbeat about the team's chances in the 2010 Air New Zealand Cup.

"It's inevitable you lose players. Players move on and go in other directions and we just have to be smart. We were a tight group last year and we, as a team, have aspirations. We want to move forward from where we were last year," Keane said.

He said the TRU had not been idle over the holiday period and had been working on filling the gaps.

Barr said that after reviews with players and coaches, it was decided the best structure was a head coaching role with an assistant, rather than a co-coaching setup.

Six people applied for the coaching job and that group was short-listed to Keane and Cadwallader. He said the board was unanimous in endorsing Keane's appointment.

The assistant coaching role is being advertised this week and applications close on Saturday week.

Barr said a decision would be made soon after that and the new assistant would also take up Cadwallader's former role of academy manager for Nelson Bays.

He was confident that now players knew who the coach was, the bulk of them would stay. Barr felt that because the Makos had played well over the last two seasons it was inevitable the players would be sought by other unions.

Cadwallader said he was disappointed with the decision and would be leaving the union. However, he was proud of what he had achieved.

"I've had 10 good years with Nelson Bays and Tasman, made some great friends, particularly in Nelson, and had a lot to do with some great players. Yeah, I'll move on, a bit disappointed, but such is life."

- © Fairfax NZ News