Samoa Coach Jackson Has Never Forgotten His Spell in Irish Club Game
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Irish Daily Mail, Friday, October 11, 2019 Irish Daily Mail, Friday, October 11, 2019 52 RUGBY WORLD CUP 53 From Back Page ANT’S been 22 years AWESOME YEAR to make sure that whatever since Steve Jackson RUGBY WORLD CUP destiny we do manage to attain is including another game and arrived through the we get to stay on for another gates of Dolphin EXCLUSIVE Samoa coach Jackson week, whether it’s to play the Rugby Club in Cork. A All Blacks or whether it’s to Itwist of fate that saw him play South Africa.’ STEVE JACKSON Scotland will be eliminated tog out for the Musgrave from the tournament if Sun- Park outfit during an INTERVIEW day’s game game against the unforgettable year. has never forgotten his tournament hosts in Yokohama Jackson would return to his is cancelled. native New Zealand, beginning It would be a cruel blow to an adventure, both as a player RORY Gregor Townsend’s squad, who and a coach, which has led him suffered a 27-3 loss to Ireland to a meeting with another Irish KEANE Irish club game on the opening weekend of the side this weekend — namely Joe spell in World Cup. in Fukuoka Schmidt’s men in a crucial World But skipper Rory Best, who Cup encounter. The 46-year-old has been recalled to the start- is now head coach of Samoa, the into the top tier of the All Ire- fondly remembered at the club. ‘They were a singing group and squad, who are playing for pride ing line-up, said there is little final obstacle in Ireland’s quest land League, where heavy- He still has his old Dolphin jer- Bundee was part of that. Lots of tomorrow, to enjoy their final room for sentiment. to qualify for the knockout weights such as Shannon, Young sey. Eventually, Jackson got the mischief but he’s a great kid. outing in Japan. ‘I think ultimately safety has stages. Munster and Cork Constitution call to return to his native New Him and Ree Lee Lo were part ‘We’ve just told our players to be paramount and that has And here we are, meeting in resided. Zealand when a former Auck- of it and Tim Nanai Williams. you’ve got nothing to lose, go to come first,’ he said. the lobby of his team’s hotel in Then Kidney got the call to land U21 coach offered him a ‘They were kids that had noth- out there and throw everything ‘I can’t really comment much Fukuoka two days out from that coach Munster and was out the place in his Southland squad. ing. South Auckland boys, Bun- at it. I know that Ireland will do on it until the dust settles. We’re pivotal Pool A clash. gap, but Dolphin still fancied ‘I was ready to head off and dee Aki was living out in Ranui exactly the same.’ here at a press conference their chances, particularly with spend a couple of years just with his family. As France and Wales found out ahead of a Samoa game. If we GLORY DAYS a promising Kiwi forward com- travelling around and seeing ‘I watched him play his first earlier this week, a Pacific Island get the result we want, we’re It’s been quite the journey for ing on board. what the world but I ended up Test (for Ireland) and I shed a team with no fear is a dangerous into a quarter-final. Whether we Jackson. A highly-rated player Born Vaeluagaomatagi Steve coming back. bit of a tear. proposition. get to watch an 80 minutes to in his youth, he represented New Jackson in the west Auckland ‘Then it started there for me.’ ‘To see him succeed and see As for Jackson, he will re-eval- decide who tops the pool, that Zealand at U17, secondary and suburb of Henderson, he was ONE DIRECTION what he’s done. Even Ray who’s uate his next move after this remains to be seen. U19 level before graduating into known to his new team-mates as in our team at the moment, they World Cup campaign. He turned ‘Ultimately, for us, all we’re Auckland’s ranks. At the time, He would carve out an impres- feel like your sons.’ down a gig with the Southern ‘Jacko’, a teak-tough No8 who sive career on the Kiwi club focusing on is the Samoa game. the mighty province were proved an instant hit — scoring Jackson continues: ‘He didn’t Kings in the Pro14 last year but If we get to the final whistle and coached by Graham Henry — a scene, turning out for South- have much and if he didn’t get knowing ‘Jacko’, he could end Leader: Rory Best loosens up at Ireland’s training base the winning try on his debut in a land, North Harbour and we get a performance and a man who would go on to guide 25-24 victory over a star-stud- put on the right track he could up anywhere. result then we’ll look at what’s the All Blacks to the World Cup Tasman. have ended up somewhere else. ‘My contract with Samoa fin- ded Garryowen side, featuring Most notably, he represented happening. For us it’s about in 2011. the likes of David Wallace, He’s done so well at Connacht ishes at the end of November making sure we get to a It was Henry who dropped a the New Zealand Maori and and now look where he is. and then I’m not too sure,’ he Dominic Crotty and Jeremy played alongside Greg Feek — quarter-final.’ bombshell on Jackson a few Staunton. ‘I know him. I know you have concludes. ‘I could be back on weeks before the beginning of Ireland’s scrum coach. those people who say he’s not Waiheke Island pumping gas or ‘I remember getting carried Former All Black Todd the new season. off and they were all Irish and all that but I know that something! So, we’ll see what ‘He sort of said to me, “Steve, if Blackadder — who he’s the type of kid that will happens.’ “It’s always an cheering. coached Bath against ‘Break is you want to play, mate, you’ll throw his feet into everything Whatever Jackson ‘There was a little Leinster last season have to go to another province”. old guy, he used to and become an Irishman. does next, one That was probably about two — would give Jack- ‘I’m bloody rapt for that kid. I thing is guar- have glasses. He fell son his big break advantage to weeks before the season started,’ asleep in church ’97 can’t wait to catch up with the anteed: it at Tasman when Jackson recalls. the following day The year Steve guy. I just want to tell him, he’s w i l l b e ‘I was a bit down and out. Then Jackson played for he offered him the got enough money now, he’s got exciting. and he woke up role of forwards I got a phone call from an agent and stood up at the Dolphin, scoring a to get a tooth in his mouth! have a really out of the blue. I’d never met the coach. He would Every time he smiles, he’s still top of his voice and match-winning then move on to a boost guy before and he said, “Look, said, “Come on you debut try got that gap!’ would you be keen on going over Counties-Manukau beautiful Dolphin!” He and work with Tana ANSWERING THE CALL to Ireland and playing footy over just didn’t realise he’s long lead-in” there”, and I was like, “Yeah, of Umaga. They are known Now, Jackson will be sitting in been in church, he’d been as the ‘Steelers’ for a reason, the coaches box tomorrow after course I would”. on the chop all night.’ Should Ireland progress to the ‘And I was getting married that the suburbs of south Auckland another whirlwind 12 months in quarter final stage, they are He recalls another clash with is a tough environment. his coaching career. After stints year so it sort of worked out to Highfield — another institution likely to face an All Blacks side fly to Fiji, get married and then The commute from his home with North Harbour and Auck- with a fortnight’s rest under the of Cork rugby — when Glen on Auckland’s Waiheke Island land Blues, a chance meeting for New get on a plane and head to Ire- Jackson, now a seasoned inter- belts after their final pool game land, so we did. Yeah, that’s how would prove punishing, but it with a friend revealed that with the Azzurri was called off. national referee, was playing would pay off in the end. Samoa were advertising for the it came about.’ out-half, another young globe- ‘I think when you’ve had a You could say Cork was his ‘Everybody in my family said, position of head coach. long lead-in like we’ve had, and trotting New Zealander. “You’re bloody mad”, because ‘I applied for the job and a honeymoon destination? Those were the glory days of we’ve had some games concer- ‘Yeah, exactly! Theres nothing for people on Waiheke Island, week later I was on an aero- tina together quite closely, I the old All-Ireland League when you’ve got to catch a ferry into plane and in Samoa going better than going over for your big derby games would attract think it’s always an advantage,’ honeymoon and playing footy! Auckland and then it takes you for my final interview and said Schmidt.