Leo Crowley aiming to help keep Tasman in the top tier
Tasman Makos assistant rugby coach Leo Crowley ready for challenging new role.
Leo Crowley's been on the outside looking in for the past couple of years.
And even from afar, he's been aware of the expectation that comes with the Tasman Makos' rise to the top tier of New Zealand provincial rugby.
Now he's part of the Tasman system as Leon MacDonald's new assistant coach, having officially started on June 5, and is clear about the pressures associated with expectation. It's all part of the New Zealand rugby fabric and now a big part of the challenge ahead of him heading into this year's Mitre 10 Cup premiership.
Crowley, who is the younger brother of former All Blacks and Taranaki fullback Kieran Crowley, takes over the role vacated by Mark Hammett who decided to remain fulltime with the Highlanders' Super Rugby team.
Crowley has an extensive coaching background which began as an assistant with the Taranaki senior representative team in 2010, a position he held through to 2015.
He linked up with his older brother as his assistant with Canada in 2013 prior to his appointment as the Chiefs' Super Rugby development coach in 2014. He was involved with Canada's 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign as attack coach, which included eight warm-up tests and four World Cup matches.
Crowley landed the assistant's role with the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby team in 2016.
Tasman lost to Canterbury in last season's premiership final and with 17 Makos players spread over New Zealand's five franchises in this year's Super Rugby competition, Tasman's supporters will be anticipating another successful campaign.
"What that does bring though is expectation to the community, so there's no free rides in New Zealand Mitre 10 Cup rugby," Crowley said. "So we've got to work hard, we've got a big nucleus playing Super Rugby now, so a lot will depend on how they come out of that competition.
"They'll be battered and bruised and [it's about] how we absorb the local boys into that Super group to get them up and running come August."
Tasman's opening Mitre 10 Cup match is against Canterbury in Nelson on August 18.
"Expectation brings pressure. I think with the brand, the boys obviously love playing for the Makos, so there'll be no complacency. Leon will be right on that and we have to work hard just like 13 other unions are working hard in New Zealand at the moment."
After two years out of the New Zealand rugby system, Crowley said it was good to be back in a familiar environment.
"It was an opportunity obviously to get back into the New Zealand set-up again at a high level. The opportunity to get back in with a progressive union in the top tier, I'm pretty lucky really."
Crowley and former All Black prop Greg Somerville, also a new member of this year's coaching staff, will work together with the forwards this season.
"Greg's fronting the set piece and I'll oversee the forwards and team defence."
With MacDonald still in Crusaders mode, Crowley is busy preparing an early season training squad of "around 30" players for their opening pre-season clash with Counties Manukau in Auckland on June 28. They also meet Manawatu in Palmerston North on August 2 and Wellington, in Seddon, on August 10.
"I think if you have expectations to be a Mako, you've got to perform against Counties and then we'll move through to that Manawatu-Wellington block.
"We have to get fitter and with Jimmy [strength and conditioning coach James Holden] on board, that's his job description [but] these boys need to get fit."
It was up to the players to seize their opportunity.
"Six players were playing club rugby in Tasman last year who are now fully-fledged professional rugby players. That's a great stat so it's our job here to find the next three or four because Mitre 10 Cup is the stage to get picked to be a professional rugby player. That's where the competition sits.
"Also, Tasman having a few good years, young kids all over New Zealand see Tasman as an opportunity which should increase the level of the club rugby. So it's win-win in that regard.
"We have to guarantee that Tasman are a top four side every year ... we want to get up there and stay there. So that means we've got to improve our systems, work harder and be more efficient with our time and we'll keep being rewarded for hard work."
