All Black Cats
Keane taps into All Blacks for tips to boost Black Cats
Paul Rees The Guardian,
Wednesday June 4 2008
New Zealand are preparing for the Test against Ireland in Wellington on Saturday, their first since being knocked out of the World Cup by France in Cardiff last October, with the help of a renowned Irish sportsman - the Sunderland manager, Roy Keane, who is in the country as part of his Uefa Pro licence coaching course.
Keane is spending all week with the All Blacks and had lunch yesterday with the New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw. He has made an instant impact on the head coach, Graham Henry. "Roy is great to talk to, very bubbly," said Henry. "We have probably got similar views on referees! He and Richie talked about their experiences and it is good to have someone of Roy's esteem in the group because there is so much for the players to learn from him."
The Black Cats manager said he was a rugby fan who was interested in the All Blacks. "Seeing them in action in New Zealand fulfils a lifetime ambition," he said. "The All Blacks have long intrigued me and I love seeing them perform the haka. I watched them in Wales last year and they ended up doing the haka in the dressing room because of a row. That made me fed up and I am looking forward to seeing it against Ireland. I am trying to plug into what they are about by watching them train and thought if I could learn something from another sport, why not go to a team who so intrigue me."
Keane taps into All Blacks for tips to boost Black Cats
Paul Rees The Guardian,
Wednesday June 4 2008
New Zealand are preparing for the Test against Ireland in Wellington on Saturday, their first since being knocked out of the World Cup by France in Cardiff last October, with the help of a renowned Irish sportsman - the Sunderland manager, Roy Keane, who is in the country as part of his Uefa Pro licence coaching course.
Keane is spending all week with the All Blacks and had lunch yesterday with the New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw. He has made an instant impact on the head coach, Graham Henry. "Roy is great to talk to, very bubbly," said Henry. "We have probably got similar views on referees! He and Richie talked about their experiences and it is good to have someone of Roy's esteem in the group because there is so much for the players to learn from him."
The Black Cats manager said he was a rugby fan who was interested in the All Blacks. "Seeing them in action in New Zealand fulfils a lifetime ambition," he said. "The All Blacks have long intrigued me and I love seeing them perform the haka. I watched them in Wales last year and they ended up doing the haka in the dressing room because of a row. That made me fed up and I am looking forward to seeing it against Ireland. I am trying to plug into what they are about by watching them train and thought if I could learn something from another sport, why not go to a team who so intrigue me."