Piutau refuses to back Kirwan

Editor

Blues boss Sir John Kirwan's reputation suffered another setback after one of his players failed to endorse his coaching credentials.

According to a New Zealand Herald report, Ulster-bound utility back Charles Piutau shied away from giving his support for Kirwan to continue as the head coach in Auckland when interviewed by New Zealand's Newstalk ZB radio station.

Piutau gave an evasive answer when questioned if he had full confidence in Kirwan as the Blues' coach. 

"Oh, I think you know…I can't really speak on that," he said.

"I'm not too sure. Whatever the board and franchise decide will be the best for the team. I'll back that."

And when asked if Kirwan is up to the task of coaching at Super Rugby level, Piutau replied:  "That's a tough question…I don't want to comment."

He did say, however, that Kirwan played a role in helping the team to stick together during a difficult season rather than splitting under the pressure of continuous losses.

The Blues are currently languishing in 14th position on the table and have lost 12 of their 15 matches this season.

They have won 16 out of 47 matches since his first season at the helm in 2013 and this will be the third season that they have failed to reach Super Rugby's Finals Series under his guidance.