Darwin to coach Rebels scrum
Darwin to coach Rebels scrum
SEVEN years after his own rugby career was ended in a scrummaging accident in the World Cup semi-final against the All Blacks, Ben Darwin has been appointed the Melbourne Rebels scrum coach.
For good measure, Darwin, currently assistant coach of the Japanese club NTT Communications, will also head the IT side of the Rebels' operation.
"So we'll be getting double the value out of him," said Melbourne head coach Rod Macqueen, the man who introduced Darwin to Test rugby, bringing him off the bench against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane in 2001.
"We're very pleased Ben is joining us. He will bring a lot to the new side."
Darwin is not only regarded as one of the best scrummaging coaches in Australia, but also the most safety-conscious, not surprisingly given how close he came to being paralysed or worse when a set piece went horribly wrong in his 28th and last Test, the 2003 World Cup semi-final.
In his retirement announcement a few days later, Darwin thanked All Black front-rower Kees Meuws for responding so quickly to his SOS call and de-powering the New Zealand scrum. "He may have saved my life," Darwin said.
Gloucester, meanwhile, has issued a statement confirming former All Black prop Greg Somerville will not be continuing with the club beyond this season, fanning speculation he will be the Rebels' next big signing.
But Macqueen insisted yesterday that Somerville still was torn between joining the Rebels and returning to New Zealand to take one last shot at World Cup selection next year at the age of 33.
"We're definitely interested in him but it's still too early to say," Macqueen said.
The Rebels coach admitted the Melbourne club was being flooded with inquiries from northern hemisphere players all excited by the prospect of playing Super rugby. And for that Macqueen thanks the Queensland Reds.
"There is no doubt that the Reds are helping us with our recruitment because of the way they're playing," he said.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225855705739
