NEW Ospreys forwards coach Chris Gibbes says the players can expect some typical Kiwi straight talking from him this season.
Gibbes arrives in Swansea having forged an impressive reputation in his native New Zealand.
The older brother of Leinster forwards coach Jono — a one-time playing target of the Ospreys — Gibbes has enjoyed plenty of success at Waikato, where he led the side to the provincial title and two further finals.
His addition to the Ospreys coaching team is seen as a major coup for the region.
And judging from his early interviews, the squad at the Liberty can expect a no-nonsense approach from the 40-year-old.
"What the lads can expect from me is that I'm pretty straight," he said.
"I don't believe in any bulls***. It's pretty simple to me. I think the lads can expect a pretty direct approach."
While Gibbes has helped coach the Georgian national side, this will be his first taste of northern hemisphere club rugby.
So what is he anticipating from a campaign that includes three cross-border tournaments and stretches from early September to the end of May?
"The biggest challenge I see is keeping the guys motivated," he added.
"It's a long season, something I haven't experienced as a coach, and I'm really looking forward to it.
"In the northern hemisphere attention is naturally drawn to the Heineken Cup, but I was lucky enough to be in Dublin when the Ospreys won the Pro12 final.
"Watching the games leading up to that, with my brother coaching at Leinster, that really gave me an insight.
"It gave me a hell of a lot more respect for northern hemisphere rugby.
"Sometimes in the southern hemisphere we can get stuck in thinking that our way is the only way.
"It was a really positive eye-opener for me."
As well as locking horns in the Pro12, the Gibbes brothers will also meet in this season's Heineken Cup with the Ospreys drawn in the same pool as three-times champions Leinster.
"It will be cool. We'll sit down and have a beer after the game, win or lose, but there will be no quarter given," added Gibbes.
"It's a great challenge and it will be a great story once we get out of the pool."
Meanwhile, Geoff Atherton is stepping down as chairman of Ospreys Rugby and its holding company Llandarcy Park (Ospreys) Ltd. He will remain as a director.
Roger Blyth, currently managing director of both companies, will replace Atherton as chairman, while Andrew Hore, the region's chief operations officer, will become chief executive of the two companies.
An Ospreys statement said: "Ospreys Rugby would like to thank Geoff for his tireless efforts on behalf of the region and in particular the role he has played in helping to steer the business through a difficult last 24 months.
"Having overseen a structural reorganisation of the two businesses, he is stepping down from an organisation that is financially sustainable allowing the region to move forward with a high degree of confidence.
"In this new capacity Andrew will have total responsibility for all operations within the Ospreys, including rugby, finance, commercial, sales and marketing, and all the other functions which make up the complete business.
"Given the environment in which the Ospreys, and Welsh regional rugby, operate, this will be a challenging task for Andrew but one which the directors believe he is more than capable of fulfilling."
Robert Lloyd
