Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Gibson explains why he's walked away from Waratahs

Daryl Gibson Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Daryl Gibson admits he’s entering the great unknown after choosing to walk away from the final season of his NSW Waratahs contract.

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite having a year remaining on a deal he signed in February, Gibson said it was “the right time” to step down as the Waratahs enter a rebuilding phase with as many as a dozen internationals heading overseas at the end of 2019.

The Waratahs have 12 players in Australia’s 28-strong squad that will contest the world under-20s championship final this weekend.

“We’ve got some absolute gold nuggets here that are going to filter through our system over the next three to four years and it’s time for another coach to take them on that journey and really own that process,” he said.

“Having been here for seven years, it’s time for a new voice, a new direction, a new game style as new players come into the team.”

While insisting it wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave, Gibson said there was no denying the Israel Folau controversy that dogged the Waratahs’ 2019 campaign had “absolutely” taken a personal toll on him.

“Obviously Israel’s had an incredible impact not only off the field but also on the field,” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We lost the highest try-scorer in the history of the competition and that has an impact, particularly on the (reduced) number of tries we scored during the season.

“It’s been a challenging period leading people through that. The time taken up and invested in that has taken away from rugby and focusing on it.

“I’m certainly challenged by that situation. I’m really proud of how the team’s responded to that situation but it has been tiring.”

Gibson had ambitions to reunite with Michael Cheika as the Wallabies’ new attack coach before former NSW Waratahs playmaker Shaun Berne was revealed as Stephen Larkham’s replacement on Friday.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’ve obviously had discussions earlier in the month but that’s a decision for Cheik,” Gibson said.

Instead the former All Black is now entering the “totally unknown”.

“But I’m excited about that opportunity. I love coaching. I love being in rugby so there’ll be something there,” he said

Gibson was an assistant coach at the Crusaders, far and away Super Rugby’s most successful franchise, before joining Cheika at the Waratahs in 2013.

The pair combined to mastermind the Waratahs’ elusive first championship the following season before Gibson took over as head coach in late 2015 when Cheika was appointed Wallabies coach.

Gibson, who took the Waratahs to the semi-finals last year, nominated winning the title five years ago as the highlight of his seven seasons at the club.

He will remain at the Waratahs until his successor is appointed.

AAP

Watch: Sacked Folau launches fundraising video

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

F
Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
Search