By Lestyn 24/03/03
March 24 2004

Steve Hansens’ tenure as Wales coach draws to a close on Saturday, for Welsh fans it will be a time of mixed emotions to see the Kiwi depart after two years at the helm. Having turned Canterbury Crusaders into Super 12 champions in both 1999 and 2000, Hansen had the pedigree, but was not considered to be in the same bracket as the better-known coaches of the time, more critically though he wasn’t Welsh.

When Hansen first took over, albeit temporarily in the wake of Graham Henry’s sacking after an opening Six Nations annihilation by Ireland, he was seen as a mercenary filling the void between coaches, a description that possibly still rings true today.

Mike Ruddock will inherit a team on the up, when Hansen was thrown in at the deep end he started with a Welsh side on the down after two golden years under Graham Henry. Henry himself had true to the climate of Welsh rugby opted for short-term fixes to problems that needed long-term solutions.

Hansen was forced into a tricky re-building process, one that has only just started to bear fruit now. Using the controversial figure of Colin Charvis as the cornerstone of his side, looked doomed, but over time has proved a masterstroke. Few coaches would be wiling to rest so much faith in a player once seen as the most hated person in the land.

Faith is certainly something the former centre has needed a lot of, when those around him have not. I for one must admit losing all my confidence in him after the drubbing last summer against England, as did David Moffett.

Considering all the flack directed at him, he must have nerves of steel, but then again £200,000 is a good enough reason to stay put.

It is well documented that even should they have wished to, due to their finances the WRU could not have axed Hansen, how ironic that after the World cup he turned down an extended offer from them.