Kiwi connection keeps Celts Rugby World Cup hopes alive

When Scotland confirmed their World Cup quarter-final berth by beating Samoa 36-33 on Saturday it cemented the success of all three Celtic sides in making the quarter-finals.

Wales emerge from Pool A despite their 15-6 loss to Australia as will Ireland from Pool D even with France still to play.

All three have one thing in common -- they have bought a New Zealand coach, a booming export from the land of the All Blacks.

Of the four Home nations England, the only one of the quartet without a New Zealand coach, failed to get out of pool play.

Since defeats to Wales and Australia sentenced England to becoming the first host nation not to make the final eight their local media have conducted a daily dissection of what led to the "humiliation".

Much of it focused on whether coach Stuart Lancaster should go -- with the arguments based on his perceived abilities to mould a champion team.

Where he comes from does not enter the debate as the English give the impression they believe an England-born coach is a pre-requisite for an England team.

The Celtic teams think otherwise and the significant development of Georgia and Fiji under New Zealand coaches Milton Haig and John McKee has not gone unnoticed.

Nor has it gone unnoticed that it is now five years since England last won the Six Nations while Wales (coached by Warren Gatland) and Ireland (Joe Schmidt) have won it twice each since. The previous time England won the Six Nations was 2003.

When Vern Cotter was appointed coach of Scotland two years ago -- although he was only able to take up the post in May 2014 -- All Blacks coach Steve Hansen noted: "I think we're seeing a pattern. If you're a New Zealander you're going to be an international coach.

"What sides aren't we coaching? So that's a huge pat on the back for the New Zealand system."

Central to the All Blacks longevity as the top ranked side in the world is their ability to churn out good coaches.

"You need great coaches to produce great players. The coaches have to come first," said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew.

But in rugby-obsessed New Zealand there are lots of talented coaches coming off the assembly line with a limited number of jobs hence they head overseas.

"There's no doubt we have the best coaches in the world, and this is proven by the demand for our people," former All Black Jeff Wilson said.

"We've got this intellectual property in our coaches and other countries want it."

Outside the All Blacks, the only fully professional teams in New Zealand are the five Super rugby franchises and then the system drops down to a mix of 26 amateur and semi-professional sides in the provincial competitions.

When Ireland wing Simon Zebo described Schmidt as tough to please he could have been describing any one of the New Zealand coaches.

"He knows absolutely everything about every aspect of the game," Zebo said.

"You are never going to have the perfect game with Joe, which is great because you will always strive to improve under him and try and make yourself better, and improve from game to game or even training sessions."

The same can be said of Gatland, Cotter and the rest of the New Zealand coaching contingent.

Not only is their professional approach admired but also their organisational skills which is why Scotland were keen to extend Cotter's contract.

They may have been Six Nations wooden spooners this year but Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson said signs are emerging of a revival under Cotter.

"The work he is doing with our young, talented squad of players has taken the team forward and we can now deliver continuity for the national team well beyond the Rugby World Cup 2015."
Source: AFP