Former All Blacks winger John Kirwan has stood down as the coach for the Auckland Blues, the team said on Friday. The former Japan and Italy coach, who played 63 tests for the All Blacks, had won about one third of his games while in charge of the Blues, who finished last in the New Zealand conference and 14th overall this year. 'People who know me well know that I do not walk away from a challenge and that was what was driving me because I know what has been set-up in terms of organisational structure in the last two years,' Kirwan said in a statement.