JUNE/JULY 2015 // NZ RUGBY WORLD //
65
[ RICO GEAR ]
at home, he has ultimate aspirations to
lead a New Zealand Super team. “I’m
really happy that I got to start with
Poverty Bay.
“If you’re going to coach full-time, you
want to go as far as you can and the best
place to do that is at home in New Zealand
coaching Super Rugby. So it’s all about
taking the right steps and not getting too
far ahead of myself at this stage. But it’s a
goal of mine, for sure.”
His two boys are playing rugby. “One of
them says he hates the game. He won’t
watch it but he still doesn’t mind getting
out there and running around. It’s not
something I’m going to force on them.
They’re involved in another couple of
sports. At that young age, for me, it’s
about them being active.”
Of Gear’s 11 tries during 19 tests,
another highlight was his 2005 hat-trick
against Wales, during an All Blacks
Grand Slam, running rings around
Gareth Thomas.
Cardiff remains a favourite stadium.
“The Millennium in Wales is special. They
close the roof off. I think you’ve got 70,000
or 80,000 people in there. Once the Welsh
start singing, it can be pretty hard to hear
yourself.”
He remembers his first game against
Wales with characteristic good-humour.
“I was on the bench. I think it was 2004
and we beat the Welsh by one point?
HAVING A LAUGH
In times of pressure
Gear says it is
important to have a
good sense of humour.
GET READY FOR THE END OF SCHOOL
When the media are having a crack
at the All Blacks, Gear says humour is
important. “And you’ll find most of us, as
Kiwis, we can have that sense of humour
and can be a little laid back at times. You
find most of the boys don’t even read the
media, don’t even give it any energy
because we’re focused on other things.”
Gear says when you’re on the turf, you’ve
got to give everything you’ve got, but
you’ve got to have times to relax and
unwind later or you won’t survive.
“That’s what the All Black management
have really tried to progress and really
focus on as the years go on. And I know
they certainly try and keep it fresh for the
guys who have been in there a long time.
“The biggest thing they’ve found with
what they’re doing is that they want guys
to come into the environment and they
want you to be yourself. So if you’re a
clown, then be a clown. Because that’s
who you are and they embrace that
sort of thing. That’s bloody great and it
just shows in terms of their ongoing
success.”
For his own balance and calm, Gear
drives a Chevy Impala. “I’ve always been
into my V8 cars. Over the years I’ve had a
couple of different V8s and I still enjoy
running around in my one toy that I have.
I get a lot of joy out of it. I feel good when
I’m driving that car, that’s what I love
about it. I enjoy the sound of a V8.”
Funny, you wake up the next morning and
you would have thought we had lost the
game based on what they were saying in
the media.”
“You sort of have to laugh and whether
it’s one point or 50 points, the result’s the
same. But not to the Welsh, they thought it
was fantastic. I was like, well if that’s your
mentality, you’re probably not going to win
too many more.”
