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Unfinished business for new Hurricanes coach

Richard Knowler

Clark Laidlaw’s previous tenure with the Hurricanes ended with him leaving the final game with a brick sitting in his guts.

In 2015 the scene was supposedly set for the Hurricanes to win their maiden Super Rugby title, when they hosted the Highlanders in Wellington. They were favourites, and lost 21-14.

So there was to be no victory party for Laidlaw, who worked under Mark Hammett for two years and Chris Boyd in his last season, to attend before he left to join the London Irish club. Even now, eight years, later, the memory stings.

‘‘Thanks for reminding me,’’ Laidlaw said half-jokingly.

‘‘The pain stays with you, doesn’t it? You know, that was a tough night. I have talked in the [interview] process that some of that shaped my coaching, around how I coached and making sure you can adapt as a group of coaches or players.

‘‘The Highlanders surprised us that night, with a couple of tactics they hadn’t used previously.’’

Now Laidlaw will soon be back at the Hurricanes, this time as head coach because Jason Holland will depart at the end of the season to work under incoming All Blacks coach Scott Robertson in 2024.

Despite interest from the Blues, who are searching for a replacement for Leon MacDonald, Laidlaw elected to call time on his career as All Blacks Sevens boss to reunite with the Wellington-based Super Rugby franchise.

Born and raised in Scotland, Laidlaw began his association with the game in New Zealand by working as a skills coach for Taranaki in 2010. Most Kiwis recognise him for his achievements with the national sevens team, which he has been in charge of since 2017. Its most recent achievement was winning the world series crown, to go alongside the one it claimed in 2018 ,and the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Laidlaw has already been busy with the 15-man game.

He’s coaching the New Zealand under-20 team, that lost to its Australian counterparts in the first of two ‘‘trial’’ matches in Upper Hutt on Monday. The second will be played on Saturday as the teams prepare for the world championship in South Africa, which starts June 25.

While open to offering advice to whoever replaces him with the sevens team, assistant Tomasi Cama looms as an obvious candidate, Laidlaw expects to have his plate heaped with tasks at the Hurricanes.

It was too early to declare if he will retain the assistants, although forwards coach Chris Gibbes has already declared he won’t return.

Sport

en-nz

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282248079943144

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