STAYING ON: Clark Laidlaw will join the Hurricanes coaching staff in a fulltime role in 2015
Clark Laidlaw helped shore up the Hurricanes’ defence this season and he’ll get a chance to further improve the side under new coach Chris Boyd.
Laidlaw will join Boyd and his assistant John Plumtree in the third official appointment to the 2015 coaching staff.
The former Scottish Commonwealth Games sevens representative came to the Hurricanes via Taranaki in 2013 as an in-season skills coach before taking up the task of fixing the leaky defensive line this season.
Laidlaw had immediate success with the Hurricanes keeping their try line intact on two occasions, something they hadn’t managed over the opening three years of head coach Mark Hammett’s tenure, and also conceding fewer points per match than in the previous season.
He is yet to meet Plumtree, but had been in close contact with Boyd around the Hurricanes’ Newtown training base before accepting a fulltime position.
How the trio split their roles and whether a fourth member is added to the coaching team remains to be seen.
“There is definitely room for change. Once Plum gets here and Boydy and myself sit down then we’ll look at roles and responsibilities,” Laidlaw said.
“I know Boydy and Plum both have a lot of experience in different areas of the game. We’ll all sit down and see what the best fit is for the group. There’s no hard and fast roles at this stage.”
He was relaxed whether he carried on in a defensive role, or switched focus.
“My role last year [in 2013] was purely technical in just working with the players on their skill set. Hammer would take care of the tactical game plan and I was working with the players on catch, pass, tackle, contact whatever that may be. It was about working on individual skill improvement plans rather than being involved from a game-plan perspective.”
“This year I switched to defence where I was more heavily involved in the tactical side as well as picking up defensive skills.”
Chris Boyd and John Plumtree will reunite as Investec Super Rugby coaches in 2015 – this time on home soil.
The pair coached the Durban-based Sharks together in 2009 and 2010.
The 2015 Hurricanes coaches, Chris Boyd and John Plumtree
Boyd will take up the head coach role, with Plumtree as his assistant.
Boyd said he was looking forward to the challenges that would come with his new appointment, both on and off the field.
“There has been a lot of hard work poured into the Hurricanes club over the past four years, and it’s now our job to build on that foundation,” he said.
“Our main focus is to create a brand of football that people find attractive to watch, and develop a team that people want to get behind.”
Boyd said that meant putting a huge emphasis on engaging with fans, sponsors, and the wider community to ensure the Hurricanes become more than just a team.
“The ultimate goal for us, the dream, is to fill that stadium again,” he said.
For Plumtree, the move back to Wellington means stepping away from his current international role as Ireland’s forwards coach. Ireland earlier this week confirmed that Sean Easterby will be taking over from Plumtree as their new forwards coach.
The 48-year-old said despite a number of years away from New Zealand, the passion he still held for the team that represents his home region contributed to his return.
“Coming from Taranaki, and after spending a lot of time in Wellington, I’ve always had a strong allegiance to the Hurricanes so to move to the club will be a nice homecoming.”
“I’m extremely excited about reconnecting with Chris and building on our coaching relationship alongside what is, and always has been, a very talented group of players.”
Hurricanes chief executive James Te Puni said the club’s focus had been on securing coaches with strong experience at a provincial, super, and international level, which he was excited to have achieved.
“Both Chris and John possess a great deal of coaching experience, while they are also both proud Hurricanes men with a passion for the region.”
“This is a very exciting step for the Hurricanes and we’re thrilled to be announcing them as the men who will build on the strong work that has been done by the current coaching team.”
“Mark, Alama and their team have made a significant contribution which is extremely important to acknowledge as we look towards this exciting step for the Hurricanes.”
New Zealand Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen said he was excited about the value both Boyd and Plumtree would bring to the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby.
“Their skillsets complement each other greatly and we know they have worked successfully together in the past with the Wellington Lions and the Sharks. We are excited to see what this coaching duo will bring to 2015 and beyond.”
Both Boyd and Plumtree have signed two year contracts with the Hurricanes.