Former Munster coach Rob Penney has not been enjoying an easy run of things as head coach of the Crusaders this season.
The once-titans of the New Zealand game have had a torrid campaign Super Rugby this season, winning just two of their opening 12 games to leave them languishing in 10th place in the table.
With the top eight sides qualifying for the playoffs, there is still hope for the Crusaders to qualify. However, judging by their form this season, there is little reason to believe this is set to be a memorable year for the Canterbury side.
Former Munster coach Penney took over at the Crusaders at the beginning of the season, and has found himself under intense pressure from the local media due to the persistently poor performances from the 12-time Super Rugby champions.
Things came to a head during a press conference this week, with Penney growing tetchy with a journalist before he was heard using a rather profane term to describe the journalist in question.
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Ex-Munster coach Rob Penney clashes with journalist
Ahead of the Crusaders' final home game of the season against the Blues this weekend, head coach Rob Penney fielded questions from the local media.
He grew tense when one of the reporters in attendance questioned him on the loyalty of his players.
Journalist: [What is the] players' feelings towards you as coach? Have you had much feedback from them?
Penney: Yeah, I get it every minute of every day.
Journalist: What have they said to you?
Penney: I've had personal conversations which I'm not prepared to share with you.
Journalist: What's the general theme of those conversations? Do they support you as coach?
Penney: I wouldn't be here if I felt otherwise.
If my team was 2-10 I probably wouldn’t call a journalist a cunt pic.twitter.com/wZoIsG836q
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) May 22, 2024
After the press event had concluded, with the mics remaining live, Penney could be heard using profane language in reference to the reporter.
He's a disgrace, that c*nt. Who is he?
It's a poor look for a coach already under pressure - though perhaps it epitomises more than anything just how much pressure the Crusaders coach is under.
Rob Penney previously spent two seasons as head coach of Munster, during which the side reached the semi-finals of the 2012-13 Heineken Cup.
The Crusaders host the league-leading Blues on Saturday (8:05am Irish time), knowing that anything but victory is almost certain to end their faint hopes of a play-off place.
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