New face in Crusaders coaching line-up | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

New assistant-coach Vern Cotter's background ensures he'll bring something fresh to the Crusaders mix this season.

His experience from four rugby heartland provinces and from three European countries could make a crucial difference for a team aiming to go one better after losing the last two finals.

On the face of it Cotter is the last person you'd expect to see at Jade this summer.

He's best known to fans for taking Bay of Plenty on their roller coaster ride through the Ranfurly Shield and NPC last year ? a journey more like an English FA Cup soccer giant-killing run than New Zealand rugby in the professional era, where unions like BOP are meant to know their place.

Canterbury, of course, spoiled the Bay fairy story twice, taking the shield off them and beating them in the NPC semis.

However, the 42-year-old coach has had no criticism for his move to Christchurch, either from Steamers supporters or fans here.

"This is the Super 12 in an international environment, and the NPC is provincial, and all the people I've spoken to have been very, very positive," he said.

But with about nine of his players at the Chiefs, he's had a few late night phone calls from the Bay boys "looking for moves."

Cotter's rugby background blends the cosmopolitan with Kiwi country. He played rugby in Bay of Plenty (his home province), Manawatu, Counties, and (briefly for Kurow) North Otago.

He also played in England (for Huddersfield), France, and Italy, and coached on the continent for 10 years.

"I suppose any experience is a learning experience, and everywhere I've been, I think I've picked up and learned," he said.

Cotter said Super 12 games were so finely balanced that even if he could help the Crusaders improve by a couple of per cent margin, it could make a difference.

"So if we can get an edge somewhere, it might be just detail, well then hopefully we'll be able to do it."

Cotter said it was no secret that the Crusaders were a well-established and run unit, and they had very good people in all parts of the game on and off the field.

"I think probably the difference I notice at the moment is that we do have time to prepare, whereas in our NPC competition we get players out of our club competition and then they have two weeks to prepare for an NPC.

"And we try to do the bulk of the work, we rush through the work, whereas I think we can afford to be a little bit more thorough and a little more specific with this preparation. So I'm enjoying that and enjoying having more time to prepare."

He shared Rob Deans' enthusiasm for the game and it was a very, very positive environment here, he said.

As a coach Cotter sees himself as a flexible thinker and likes a democratic, not an autocratic, approach.

"And I think in this environment it's certainly going to be beneficial, because there's certainly a lot of people that can bring things to the fore. It's just a matter of moulding it and making sure it becomes positive."

After Super 12, Cotter is contracted for one more season with BOP.

The Bay was a team that was growing and finally getting some belief in itself, he said.

"We didn't have the best players in the competition, but we certainly had players that made up for that with enthusiasm and desire, and it was nice to be involved with a bubbling group of individuals."

Cotter, who has a sheep and beef farm back in the Bay, had his move to Christchurch eased by the fact his partner Emily is from here. They have a 20-month-old daughter.

The move has one liability. Cotter is a keen sea angler, but no one's told him a good fishing spot yet. While he hopes to hook his biggest catch in Super 12, he'd love to get into blue cod, too.