Blues boot Lam
17 Jul 2012
Pat Lam has been fired as coach of the Blues with former All Black John Kirwan appointed in his place.
Lam oversaw a disastrous campaign, the worst of his four-year tenure. Kirwan has coached Japan (2007-2011) and Italy (2002-2005) and takes over from August on a two-year deal.
‘This is an exciting time. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to lead the Blues next season in what I hope will be a new era of success and innovation,’ Kirwan said.
‘I’m also thrilled about coming back to New Zealand and home to Auckland after several years overseas. I am a proud Blues man and I started my rugby career in the region so I am really excited about connecting with fans and working with the Blues community. There is certainly some hard work ahead and I am looking forward to the challenge.’
Kirwan played 142 games for Auckland and 63 Tests for the All Blacks. He also had a brief stint with the Blues franchise in 2001 as assistant coach.
24 Comments
17 Jul 2012, 09:00 am
Great appointment…!!
Watch JK turn this franchise around…
They will reach the play-offs next year at least… Watch this space!
17 Jul 2012, 09:04 am
Lam to go on the lam.
17 Jul 2012, 09:08 am
Wham, Bam, Thank you Lam.
17 Jul 2012, 09:11 am
Get rid of Williams and Nonu and 50% of the problems will be solved.
17 Jul 2012, 09:14 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-3:
That’s lamentable.
17 Jul 2012, 09:27 am
@ufo(ufo)-1:
you’re showing grant10 tendencies.
17 Jul 2012, 09:36 am
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-6:
huh…?
what the heck does that mean…?
17 Jul 2012, 09:47 am
@ufo(ufo)-7:
I’m not sure.
But I think he means you have started listening to musicals, wearing tight clothes and looking at other men longer than you should.
Otherwise I have no idea what he is on about.
17 Jul 2012, 09:49 am
jk can hardly do a worse job that pat lam has done…
but as a proponent of expansive dynamic rugby who encourages his players to express themselves on the field, jk will get the blues playing great rugby… i have no doubt at all…
let’s chat this time next year and see where the blues finish…
i’ll spot you a few windhoek draughts next you’re in cape town if i’m wrong…
17 Jul 2012, 09:50 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-8:
hahaha…
well at least i’m not the only confused puppy here…
17 Jul 2012, 09:54 am
Brilliant news for the Blues. Now go out and buy a few traditional Blues hard men, look at luring Barret away from Wellington and a few of the Chiefs bench players from Hamilton.
Things looking up at last.
17 Jul 2012, 10:51 am
If CSI comes on here and implores JK to buy some Lions, I’m going to be mightily disappointed, if we want Saffa players might as well raid the top drawer not the bag of old clothes someone put in the garage.
Like Pedigree suggested we need to snaffle a good first five, how bout Horrell from the Chiefs. As for hardmen,bit difficult to find those types,well eighty minute ones,probably have to start looking in nontraditional areas, like prison….will want the Blues to do everything in their power to once again be the team with the mostest.
17 Jul 2012, 10:51 am
Next year won’t get much easier – Kaino gone, Toeava gone, Boric probably gone, I’m not sure how many years Mealamu and Williams have in them, i wouldn’t be surprised if Ranger heads to Europe considering he’s not in the frame for the ABs. Surely the AB selectors will drop Weepu so he’ll head to Europe too. There has been talk of Mils coming home but let’s face it, a year in Japan for the old boy is hardly going to have him in top shape. Considering we’ve always prided ourselves on electric backs, we’ve got the worst 9/10 combo in NZ.
How’s that for optimistic?
17 Jul 2012, 11:10 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-12:
don’t fret bud… JK’s gonna sort the blues out…!!
i’ve long wished one of the saffa unions would employ him…
17 Jul 2012, 11:49 am
@ufo(ufo)-1:
how could you forget dragons on a jk thread?
17 Jul 2012, 12:20 pm
@ufo(ufo)-7:
constant love lullabyes to a coach you and you alone rate
like grant’s hots for mitchell…’bok coach!’ can yuo believe it…
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-8:
17 Jul 2012, 12:27 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-16:
I think there are a few that rate Kirwin as a coach.
We all really just need to wait and see.
17 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-15:
never been really big on draggin’ tradition along for the sake of it…
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-16:
ah-haaa… okay…
but as i said let’s chat this time next year… i’m reckon the blues will be in the play-offs… and will buy you windhoeks if they are not…
17 Jul 2012, 12:30 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-12: Prison is a good start.
I remember Blues packs of old smashing all comers (they might have sucked come scrumtime every now and again, but whipped a s s in all other facets) – literally and figuratively. Beautiful to behold.
That edge has been missing, along with a certain amount of discipline it would seem.
Even though I was brimming with hope pre-season……I should have realised my hope was baseless when a clearly 15kg overweight Piri arrived. He wouldn’t have dared to arrive like that if say, Rennie, Joseph or Toddy B happened to be head coach at the Blues.
I have always liked Pat L – but with Kirwan I am almost certain discipline will be key (on and off the field).
17 Jul 2012, 12:33 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-12:I will be watching the ITM cup from SA with interest. There will be enough talent on display right there for Kirwan to sift through and purchase.
17 Jul 2012, 13:04 pm
@ufo(ufo)-18:
nice way to get out of buying a round
17 Jul 2012, 13:04 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-17:
mkay, wait it is…
18 Jul 2012, 01:17 am
It seems no proven coach even applied for the job. JK hasn’t proven himself as a coach anywhere and I can’t see him doing any better than Lam did in his first three years. He was given the job because of WHO he is by his old AB mates Andy Dalton and Gary Whetton. At least Pat could speak Samoan!
18 Jul 2012, 08:10 am
@rewa hard(rewa hard)-23:
Whats able to speak Samoan got to do with being a good coach for the Mighty Blues.Oh yeah to further Pats hidden agenda he had to speak the lingo. JK will do the right thing and we will get back to what is good for Blues Rugby is Good for NZ Rugby.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.