Vern Cotter: Blues head coach ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby season

There's plenty of speculation as to how the Blues will build off of last year's momentum in the 2025 Super Rugby season.

Harry Plummer and Stephen Perofeta helped steer the Blues to victory last year at 10 - and this year, the team welcomes back Beauden Barrett after a stint in Japan. 

 Blues head coach Vern Cotter joined Piney to discuss.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks edb SO.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
As mentioned, we're chatting today with all six New Zealand
based Super rugby head coaches. Let's start with the defending champions.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
We've got to regather.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
They teck it, they take it backwards, it's going to
go over the line.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Blues hats have loved to hear these words again the Blues.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'still for rugby champions for the first time in twenty
one year.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Blues head coach Vern Kinda joins us ver and you're
defending champions. So does that mean that you've now got
a blueprint for success?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
That's a really good question. I think we enjoyed the
success and I think when we get things right, we
can we can put pressure on teams. And I thought
there was a mind shift in and around and how
we approach competitions. Rather than just being satisfied with whether fourth,
fifth or whatever position, we decide that winning was key,

(01:02):
so that there was last year. This is another year,
another season, and you know they're constantly asking questions yourself
is key to moving forward, and I think I think
the boys are keen to keep moving forward. So I
can't say we're going to win again because everybody's going

(01:24):
to do that, But we enjoyed winning last year and
we're certainly like to do it again.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Is there a temptation to lock and load a fair
amount of what worked for you last year this year?
I take your point. I wanted to move forward and
all of that. But you know they say, if it
ain't broke, don't fix it. Is there a temptation not
to tinker too much?

Speaker 3 (01:42):
I know there's there's certain parts of the game we
respect that are drivers and our performance and those drivers
will stay the same. And I think the more time
you spend together, the better you become. So rather than
changing for changing, say you can double down on stuff
that works. But the super season is there's a start, middle,
and finish, so and there's a context to every bit
of that around whether the teams are playing in the

(02:04):
position sometimes in the competition. So we're going to we'll
start and I think, like all teams start a bit
rusty and then work our way into it. But the
fundamentals of our game and things that we hold dear
and we talk about DNA and things like that, things
like that, I don't know you want to go that far,
but certainly there's parts of our performance that we like
to double down on.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
You talked about the start of the season that you've
been handed the tougher start that I can see of
any of the teams three New Zealand derbies. We know
how physical they are. None of the other New Zealand
sides have as tough a start as that. Does that
bring an extra layer of challenge for you in terms
of managing your squad in the early part of the season.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, you sort of. You'll go from game to game,
from training to training, and like all teams at the moment,
there's there's been a few manageries even before you get started,
so that's part and parcel of a season. So that's
exciting because there's young some young players coming through the
people probably haven't heard of, and they'll get opportunities because
there will be there will be attritional the start of
the season. Boys know that and they know that every

(03:03):
point in every meter and everything everything we do matters.
So there's been a good preseason and we'll rock and
roll through the games they come and knowing that we
will work our way through any any situation where we
pride ourselves on being able to adapt and that'll be
one of our key philosophies as well.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Sam Dowry had a big season for you in twenty
twenty four, made the All Blacks of course off the
back of a super rugby form. Unfortunately out for twenty
twenty five. How big a blow is that for you?

Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah? I was, Sam was coming on. I mean he
got rewarded with Norbalay Tour and I think was world reserved.
He runs a line out, he's a big he's a
big man, he's two mat as tall I and he
dominates the space above others. And he was getting really
good around the paddock and on the field and you
know around the carry and clean and his work grate
was exceptional. So yeah, it's a loss, but it's also

(03:55):
an example of what we want. And there's some other
young players coming through in his camp, Christy and Tristan
Cook that come out of North Harbor that you know,
they're exciting young players and there's opportunity. There's an opportunity
for Josh Berry to step up. Lochelan McDonnell. He's he
had a great season last year and that gives more
game time for these players making grind develop as well,

(04:16):
So we have to see that as a positive, even
though we're disappointed for Sam.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Boden Barrett's back. Will he play first five and fullback
for you?

Speaker 3 (04:26):
He can play a number of positions in those teams. Yeah,
I would say he's He offers us a support in
and around both those roles. And even as we start,
as we talk about starting season, Steve pairfetters nursing just
just a slight calf as well. So you need everybody
and so body can fit into those two positions comfortably.

(04:47):
So yeah, it's good to have that flexibility within the team.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
So with Stephen perhaps doubtful for the first little while,
we saw Harry Plummer run the cutter for you brilliantly
last year in the teen Jersey. Might we see that
again him at ten and body at fifteen for example.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, that could happen. Harry did a great job and
he led the team to a final victory. So that's
and then the whole way through the season steps up
when you need him. He's a great man, he's a
team man, and he'll play wherever we need him because
he's got that flexibility of playing in the midfield as well,
and then maybe you know, when we get everybody back

(05:24):
that I can slot in and out, and you can't
just have one team that plays the whole competition. So
being able to slot and now that is important and
Harry's love having Harry with us.

Speaker 2 (05:34):
Indeed, you mentioned Steven obviously know about Sam. I think
Bryce Heem has also, doesn't he with a wrist injury.
I read anyone else who's who's not quite ready to start.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
We've got bits of things all around the place, guys
coming back and so yeah, yeah, well we'll name a
team this week to the Chiefs big game back home.
We haven't been on the field for a while, and
looking forward to that, looking forward to the crowd coming
out and supporting us. And it's it's kick off time.

(06:08):
So I think there's been you know, Monday, I expect
quite hands to be up in the air to take
part in this, and a couple of those mind niggles
just might disappear.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
I bet they will. Seven new faces, seven new Super
rugby players. Anyway, quite a bit of interest in Peyton
Spencer given his surname who was dad is and also
his feats in the sevens game. How's he fitted into
the environment.

Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, that really good. He's a great player, he's got
a great future and he's like a lot of these players.
Then they've got good humility around how they approach the
game and they want to learn and become better, and
they've slotted them nicely. You know, there's there's another young player,
Rica Simpson. I think zav Taylor who was the founder twenties.
We've got some good young kids coming through and that's

(06:51):
the Blues team of two or three years time perhaps,
you know, so's been worth one investment during the preseason
having these guys and you can already see the progress
they're making.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
Did you learn some some good stuff last year? And
you've been around the game for a while, did you
learn some new things last year?

Speaker 3 (07:09):
We're always learning, Pineyer? Yeah, so, you know, no, there's
there's good key learnings just about ourselves and in the competition.
Because I hadn't coached in the competition for a while,
so it was no interesting coaching back in New Zealand
and the dynamics of a you know, of of an
international competition in Australian and Pacific Island teams. I really

(07:30):
enjoyed it. I loved it. It was nice to be
back home and I really enjoyed the Blues boys. They're
not the soft, fleshy team that thinks they are. There's
some some real hard work goes near, some real pride
in the Jersey and the province. So it's it's you
know and hopefully you know the things we learned we
can we can, like I said at the start, move

(07:52):
move things forward again.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
Yeah, well, I think you were a large part of
driving that that steel in the in the Blues last
season just before you got to see. Australia will be
looking for a new head coach at the back end
of the year. You're going to get back into the
international game.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
I'm happy here also, yeah, no, no, no that there'll
be somebody else. There'll be somebody else. But Joe's done
a good job. He's a good made of mine and
I think he's done well there. And Australians have good
coaches and you'll see that, I think with the with
their team to share the one least team and they've
consolidated their team effectives, playing lists and they'll be tough.

Speaker 2 (08:28):
Thanks for chatting vern all the best in your quest
to go back to.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
Back mate good Man, Thank you just pining now thanks.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
Ver Vern cotter head coach of the Blues.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
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