Crusaders 20 Waratahs 12

THE pain of losing a second Super 14 final to the Crusaders in four years has been aggravated by Waratahs captain Phil Waugh and coach Ewen McKenzie being forced to fend off reports of a rift between the pair.

In the aftermath of Waugh's failure to recognise McKenzie in his speech after the Crusaders beat the Waratahs 20-12 on Saturday night, a source told the Herald there was "big time" tension between the captain and coach.

It is thought they may have fallen out over the Waratahs coaching saga, which was sparked when McKenzie was told on April 1 that his contract would not be renewed after this year. But the issue was repeatedly raised in the lead-up to the final.

It is known that the playing group became increasingly frustrated by their campaign taking a back seat to the unfolding speculation on who would replace McKenzie and his personal future.

However, Waugh and McKenzie, who arrived back in Sydney yesterday, both denied there was a problem.

"Look, there's certainly been a lot of noise around the team and not so much focused on the team," Waugh said.

"With all that noise going on around in the peripheries, I think the group stuck together really well and never shifted focus on what we were about and what we wanted to achieve."

Asked if he was concerned his omission of McKenzie's name in his post-match speech on the coach's last day in the job could be interpreted negatively, Waugh said: "I don't think so. It doesn't really matter what you say, I mean people are going to read things into it when you talk about a contentious issue.

"I don't think anyone should read anything into it. I was extremely proud of the way the players throughout the year conducted themselves when it would have been easy to look for excuses and shy away from responsibility. I thought all the guys really put their hands up."

Pressed to clarify if the captain-coach relationship was still strong, Waugh said: "I've said all along, a team is being part of the coaching staff, and the players and the team's been doing well, so there's no issues there."

McKenzie yesterday received a number of text messages referring to Waugh's speech, but said he did not hear it because of the noise of the crowd celebrating.

"I didn't hear the speech. You couldn't hear it on the ground," McKenzie said. Asked if there was a problem with Waugh, he added: "I don't think so. I don't know what was said or wasn't said, but in terms of the dynamics, the group's been really good all year - staff, players, the whole bit.

"There's certainly been nothing we've had to deal with. There's never been any crisis meetings or anything.

"We set up a routine of how to function week to week and we stuck to it the whole year. We agreed on the pathway and got to where we wanted to, which was to play in the final.

"So there's never been any issues. It's actually been the most seamless season from the playing side that I can remember. So I don't think there's any dramas at all. I'm just disappointed we didn't win it."

McKenzie is still uncertain about his future, having placed it on the backburner since declaring after the Waratahs' final-round win over the Reds that he would be open to talks should NSW want him to stay in the job.

McKenzie, who is now unlikely to coach Stade Francais in Paris after being offered the job and who has not ruled out resuming his trade as a town planner, yesterday said he would review his options now the Super 14 season was over.

Asked when he expected to reach a decision, McKenzie yesterday said: "Hopefully in the next few weeks, but it might take a bit longer. I don't know. It depends on which way I go.

"I'd say I'll be looking at rugby opportunities but I'll be looking at other opportunities as well."

Negotiations with Stade Francais are thought to have broken down over the family component of the deal on the table. But there are coaching vacancies coming up at Irish club Munster and at the Crusaders, now that Robbie Deans has left the team to take over the Wallabies from today.

The NSW Rugby Union board is tonight expected to rubber-stamp chief executive Jim L'Estrange's recommendation that Eastwood coach Chris Hickey take the Waratahs coaching job next year after coming to terms last Friday.

The NSWRU hopes to retain defence coach Les Kiss even though he applied for the head coaching position. If they fail to keep him, that would mean a total clean-out of the 2007 coaching staff, with attack coach Todd Louden flying to Japan tomorrow to coach Ricoh in Tokyo and forwards coach Steve Tuynman also departing.

"We've been talking to Les. We're hoping he stays. We'll find out in the next few weeks," L'Estrange said.