NZ Rugby:
Shane Howarth gets the chop from Auckland Blues...
Coach
Pat Lam will see out his three-year contract with the Blues for next year's
Super 15 rugby competition, but his assistant of the past two seasons, Shane Howarth, has not survived an end of season review.
The
New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and Blues said in a brief statement today that the Blues'
assistant coach role will be advertised following the recommendation of the coaching review panel which had looked at the performance of Lam and Howarth in this year's
Super rugby competition.
Lam and Howarth, both on three-year contracts, first took charge of the Blues in 2009 when the team finished ninth. They finished seventh this year.
The statement said Howarth is eligible to re-apply for the assistant coach position.
The review panel consisted of NZRU
board member Graham Mourie, NZRU high performance coach development manager Mike Chu, Blues chairman Greg Muir, Blues chief executive
Andy Dalton, and Blues directors
Grant Fox and Gary Whetton.
The coaching position will be advertised from July 11.
I often wondered just how Shane Howarth got his Auckland coaching positions with very little coaching backgrounds. Shane Howarth will be remembered as the player of dubious Welsh descent who played test rugby for that counry. Perhaps he was a welsh rarebit? Pat Lam has had northern hemisphere coaching experience; just needs a good back coach to support him. Jeff Wilson, the former All Black from Southland and currently the back coach for North harbour would be a sitter for the Blues.
Acknowledgements:- NZPA
