‘There’s a piece of my heart in there’ – Tana Umaga makes honest admission on All Blacks coaching links
Moana Pasifika boss Tana Umaga and All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie (inset).
Moana Pasifika boss Tana Umaga has confirmed that he has held talks with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) about him joining new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie’s coaching staff.
After the appointment of Rennie as New Zealand’s new head coach recently, Umaga’s name emerged as a possible addition to the All Blacks’ coaching staff as an assistant.
And the former All Blacks captain addressed the issue after Moana’s 43-7 Super Rugby Pacific defeat to the Blues at Eden Park on Sunday.
“I’ll figure those out after today,” Umaga said in the post-match press conference.
He expanded on those comments during an interview on Sky Sport NZ’s The Breakdown show and revealed that he has had discussions with Rennie about a coaching position for him with the All Blacks.
Spoke to Dave Rennie
“I’ve had a couple of chats to Dave Rennie in the last couple of days. We’re just going through that process at the moment, and we’ll see where that goes,” he said.
“I’ve got a job to do here at the moment. That’s great to have that opportunity. Whether it comes to anything, that’s work that’s got to be done.
“I’ve got a few issues of my own to get sorted for a team that I love so much. I want to make sure I’m doing right by this club and where we’re going.”
Last week, Umaga was modest about speculation linking him with an All Blacks coaching position but hinted that he might be interested in being part of Rennie’s backroom staff.
Tana Umaga breaks silence on All Blacks ‘speculation’ and issues ‘stand out’ verdict on Dave Rennie
“There was a bit of interest in terms of having a chat with him [Rennie] from my agent to see if anything comes up, and said ‘you wouldn’t turn that down, would you?’ So we’re just waiting for those things to happen, if it happens, it happens,” he said at the time.
“You always want to set goals for yourself, you want to be part of the best and involved with the best. In my mind, the All Blacks have always been the best.
‘Great to be in that conversation’
“Until it’s a done deal and everything’s down on paper. It’s speculation. It’s great to be in that conversation, but it is a bit of a nuisance right now at this stage.”
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The 52-year-old made 74 Test appearances for the All Blacks between 1997 and 2005 and admitted that due to his long-standing association with the three-time world champions, he has a soft spot for the team.
“I’m just a fan of the All Blacks. I had the great fortune to play for them and the privilege of leading them,” he told Sky Sport NZ.
“Since then, I’ve just been watching them. There’s a piece of my heart in there, and when you’ve got that attachment to it, you want it to do well.
“If I get that opportunity, I’ll do the best I can to keep pushing our jersey – the All Blacks jersey – as far as we can, because we want it at the top.”
