New Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph at Wellington training
in the captial yesterday. Joseph will continue to coach
Wellington in the interim but will finish up before the end
of August. Photo by NZPA.
Jamie Joseph said, in a rugby sense, it was not a hard
decision to move to the Highlanders.
But off-field matters made it a tough choice, although once
his family was in "boots and all", he knew it was a
no-brainer.
Joseph, who was officially named as the coach of the side
yesterday, also said there appeared to be something wrong
within the Highlanders side as it lost so many close games.
Joseph had been widely tipped to take over from Glenn Moore
and it was finally confirmed by the Highlanders and the New
Zealand Rugby Union yesterday.
An assistant coach to join Joseph was not named yesterday but
it is expected within the next few days that Southland
co-coach Simon Culhane will join his former All Black
team-mate in a new management team next year.
Joseph was working through when he would finish with
Wellington but it would certainly be by the end of next
month.
The former All Black said he was excited about the challenge
and returning south.
"Dunedin and the South, with Southland, are proud rugby
provinces. They gave me something as a person and I learnt my
trade down there, learning lots about life from the likes of
Laurie and Gordy [former Otago coaches Laurie Mains and
Gordon Hunter]," Joseph said.
"Otago provincial rugby in recent years has not played as
well as they have played previously. Dave [Latta] and Phil
[Mooney] have got a massive job on their hands to get the
team back up to being what they should be and develop the
players to being the best they can be, wanting them to be
professional athletes and perform at their best.
"If I can help do that then I will help out as much as I
can."
Joseph studied at the University of Otago and stayed in the
South for eight years before he left to coach and play rugby
in Japan.
He coached Wellington to two straight domestic finals, losing
to Canterbury both times, and won the Ranfurly Shield for
Wellington in 2008.
He said as an outsider looking in, there appeared to be
something wrong with the make-up of the Highlanders.
"I think there is some discord within the team. You can see
that when they lose so many tight games. There is an edge
missing. That is something we really need to sort out."
With the Highlanders finishing as the bottom New Zealand side
in Super rugby competitions over the past six years, getting
wins is the first priority for Joseph.
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