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Why Rob Penney was the ‘ideal candidate’ for Crusaders job

Waratahs head coach Rob Penney. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The Crusaders’ decision to appoint former Waratahs coach Rob Penney as Scott Robertson’s successor from next season may have come as a surprise to some, but not Israel Dagg.

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Rugby World Cup winning fullback Dagg believes Penney was the “ideal candidate” to take over as the Crusaders’ head coach, and has explained why on New Zealand radio.

As revealed in a statement by the Crusaders, Penney said that he’s “excited and honoured to have been selected for the role.”

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Penney was an assistant coach at the Christchurch-based franchise in 2005, and went on to coach Canterbury in New Zealand’s provincial competition, and later the NSW Waratahs.

But things didn’t quite go to plan across the ditch.

The 59-year-old won just 24 per cent of his matches with the Waratahs – a seven from 29 record. Penney also failed to save the Urayasu-based Shining Arcs from relegation in Japan.

But the Crusaders have made their choice, and former All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg clearly believes it’s the right one.

“It was only (a) one-man race that one,” Dagg told SENZ Breakfast.

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“They weren’t going to go outside of the region.

“He’s had a big influence here in Christchurch, so Rob Penney was the ideal candidate.

“He’s got a really good connection with the community, players – knows a lot of them, he’s coached them in Canterbury.

“He went over to the Waratahs, that didn’t eventuate, he went over north – I think it was Munster – and he’s got a lot of experience.

“So well done to Rob Penney.”

As for this season, the Crusaders have a home quarterfinal against the Fijian Drua to play this weekend. The Drua famously beat the champions in Fiji earlier this season.

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H
Hellhound 28 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

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