How Rugby League will influence the next era of All Blacks rugby

Two of New Zealand’s three opponents in the upcoming Rugby Championship will feature defences coached by former NRL players, a trend which has the All Blacks‘ future coach taking notes.

Scott Robertson has already appointed his coaching staff for the All Blacks, a lineup that does not include any former NRL talent, but will welcome some of the 13-man code’s wisdom.

The man assuming the role of defence coach is Scott Hansen, the mastermind behind the Crusaders’ attack since 2020 and former assistant to Wayne Smith in Japan’s Rugby League One as well as Jamie Joseph in Japan’s national team.

Robertson said on Friday that former All Black and current Crusaders Assistant Tamati Ellison will also be involved with coaching defence in the national team’s setup.

“I actually sent Tamati Ellison to the Melbourne Storm last year, to do a little bit of work with them,” Robertson told SENZ. “He’s good at rolling up, he does a lot of work on the ground, so he does all our ground stuff and all of the technical side of it.

“Obviously Scott Hansen is an expert, and he’ll be doing our defence. He did it for the World Cup with Japan and worked with some great coaches.

“So, the two of them will be involved with the All Blacks and they’ll do a lot of work around making sure we’ve got the defensive side right and I’ll send Scotty over to a League team as well.

“To beat a League defence you’ve got to beat it with attack and vice versa. So normally, they progress quite quickly in attack, then it’s about adjustments.

“We play wings high, ball-line defence, we’ve got two men tackled. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it and the way they train it is a lot more professional than us. They haven’t got a set piece, there’s no scrum or lineout so they do a lot of work in that tackle area and where you can get those gains is so critical and that’s probably what you’re saying about getting a League coach in, what they can create.

“So between the two of them, they’ll cover that side of it and see where the League takes it and all the advancements.”

The lack of set piece in Rugby League means defences can keep their shape and won’t be caught with any players stuck at the bottom of a ruck. There’s also rarely any kicking through the first five phases, hence Robertson’s “you’ve got to beat it with attack” note.

The defensive strategy employed by Argentina’s David Kidwell proved profitable in 2022 and only time will tell what Eddie Jones’ vision for the Wallabies comprises.

If those sides find success against the All Blacks this year, it will provide a clear picture of how the game is evolving on the defensive side of the ball.