Tana Umaga (centre) listens in during training with Manu Samoa. Photo: Facebook/Manu Samoa
Former All Black Tana Umaga admits he faces a "Herculean" task when he takes on the role of head coach of Moana Pasifika in 2024.
There's little doubt about the magnitude of the job he faces with Moana Pasifika losing all their Super Rugby Pacific games this season finished - apart from one, the last game of the season.
At the end of the season, Aaron Mauger quit as head coach of the side after two difficult campaigns.
Umaga said it was the 'purpose' which drove him to accept the top job.
"What it means to a lot of people, what it means to a lot of players, the opportunities for our Pacific Island nations, the purpose was strong, and it drew me to it and made me put my name towards it," he explained from Samoa, where he is defence coach for Manu Samoa as they prepare for the Pacific Nations Cup.
As he acknowledged, being head coach will bring a lot more of stress.
"Oh yeah, you get a lot more sleep as an assistant coach, you just do your job and then go home," he quipped.
"I'm sure head coaches will tell you there's a lot that gets on your mind. The ability to manage up, sideways and down, that's something I learnt with Leon (McDonald). It just comes down to making sure everyone's informed about what's happening.
"There's a major difference, you're heading a programme, it's all on you, it's what everyone's looking at. And I think I'm old enough now to be able to deal with that. I've really learnt from my time being an assistant (at the Blues)."
So, after five years away from a head coaching role, he now returns with blessing of wife Rochelle and his family.
Discipline is key if playoff place is to be won
Photo: Supplied
In his last stint as a head coach with the Blues between 2016 and 2018, Umaga gained 20 wins from 47 matches before being demoted in favour of Leon McDonald.
He returned to the Blues this year as coaching consultant. It was a wide-ranging brief that included establishing development programmes for the coaches, testing them on team planning and strategy, curating team culture, analysing individual player development and also reviewing game plans and performances.
While he will analyse Moana Pasifika games in detail when he returns to New Zealand from overseas duties with Manu Samoa, he has already had a chat with his predecessor Aaron Mauger on how to build on the 'teething problems' at the club.
Umaga is aware they can ill afford to leak 40 points or more in games, and key to that is discipline and staying on the right side of law. And if they can do that it's not an unrealistic target for them to be challenging for a top-eight playoff berth.
He realises that player retention is a big factor for Moana Pasifika with fringe midfielder Levi Amua moving to the Crusaders for next season.
"It's one of the risks when you sign players who haven't been capped," Umaga said.
"We need to make sure that whatever we do as Moana gives them something that they feel connected to, that they want to go on and represent the country of their birth, or grandparents' or parents' birth.
"Obviously the lure of other international teams like the All Blacks, there's a bit of work for us to do there in terms of that, but we can't discount how much that'll mean to them."
With a older and wiser head on his shoulders Umaga is ready to be head coach of the toughest and hardest job in Super Rugby Pacific.
