It all seemed to come so easy to Glenn Moore when he coached North Otago in one of the most memorable periods in the small union's history.
Between 2000 and 2005, he had an enviable coaching record of 47 wins, 19 losses and one draw with the province, leading the Old Golds to three straight third division finals and three straight second division finals.
Two years as a Highlanders assistant followed before he graduated to the top job. Now, five weeks into the Super 14 season, he is still searching for his first win as a professional head coach.
Everything is on another scale now. In Oamaru, Moore coached farmers and stock agents; now he is dealing with professional rugby players. He was used to trips to Masterton and Ruatoria; now the destinations are Brisbane, Auckland and Cape Town. A small-town newspaper used to follow his progress; now he faces scrutiny from the national rugby press.
And where North Otago pumped 50 points into teams like Mid Canterbury, Manawatu and East Coast, the Highlanders have fallen short against the Reds, the Brumbies, the Waratahs and the Hurricanes.
But one thing has not changed. Moore is still obsessed with the game, and with what he can do to haul a disparate group of players together and make them win. He admits he is desperate to get his first win as Highlanders coach.
‘‘Absolutely, yes, I am. But I'm desperate to get it for the boys, not for me,'' Moore told the Otago Daily Times.
‘‘I think we'll see a lot more out of these guys when they get that win. I think the confidence will grow and that's what we need to really kick-start some momentum.
‘‘It's not like we're looking for 15 to 20 points in these games.''
Indeed. The Highlanders have been competitive in all four games, with losing margins of six, two, three and four points, and it has been well documented that they probably would have won at least two games but for dubious officiating and poor goal kicking.
That still cannot disguise the fact they are nought from four and have a difficult draw ahead, starting with today's game in Queenstown against a sharp Force side fresh from a big win against the Blues.
The Highlanders have had a few days off to gather their thoughts. Moore went back to Oamaru, where his family still lives and where he can at least try to think about something other than rugby for a while.
He stewed a little over the team's poor goal kicking - ‘‘We've got faith in our kickers and there's no reason why they shouldn't be landing those goals'' - and wondered whether there was anything more he could be doing.
But Moore backs himself and backs his players. He hopes that faith will be rewarded with some victories.
‘‘I think, clearly, there are a number of things going pretty well. Our set piece has developed nicely. I thought it was very powerful against the Hurricanes.
‘‘We're comfortable we are building a really strong platform to operate off. Now we look at what we can do to convert opportunities into some points.
‘‘The clear message we're delivering is that we have to keep everything simple. We're carrying the ball well and we're breaking the line. It's just the decision-making and converting those little opportunities that has let us down a bit.''
Nine of the 15 Highlanders who started against the Hurricanes are in their first or second Super 14 season, but Moore has had enough of using inexperience as a convenient excuse for failure.
He maintains his players have plenty of self-belief, and neither them nor he will throw in the towel as long as the Highlanders retain any slim hopes of a place in the semifinals.
‘‘We're not out of this competition by any stretch of the imagination. If we can continue to build and win our ball and simplify some of the things we're doing, we can win games.''
They clearly need to start winning or the season will indeed be a bust.
Moore watched the Force beat the Blues at Albany and would have been impressed with the westerners' line-out and linebreaking ability.
John Mitchell - remember him? - has built a side with good levels of experience and a willingness to play the game at pace, led by the gifted Matt Giteau.
The Highlanders got close to the three other Australian teams but will need to lift their game, from their execution to their goal-kicking, if they are to get their first win of the season.
