What the Crusaders dynasty taught us about Scott Robertson

The Crusaders lost one title during Scott Robertson’s time at the helm: The Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title in 2021.

In that five-game competition, the Crusaders were undefeated and missed out on a spot in the final due to a lower points differential than the Blues and Highlanders. That differential was partly due to the team having to rest players in the opening weeks as they had just played in – and won – the Super Rugby Aotearoa final the week prior.

That’s the one stain on Razor’s resume, that one time he lost without losing.

What sorcery inspires seven titles in as many years?

What’s striking about Razor’s coaching style is how thoughtfully holistic it is.

Scott Robertson has mastered both rugby tactics and behavioural science. The self-proclaimed visionary lends his creativity to game-breaking attacking schemes and stifling defence. His IQ is impressive and while clearly a cut above the rest, what separates him is his EQ.

Coaches can sing “win the little moments” until the cows come home but empowering a player to identify and execute that moment is where the Crusaders always seem to have the upper hand.

There’s a good reason for that.

If a Crusaders player walks into the gym one morning with sleep in their eye, Robertson knows about it. If a player has an issue off-field that interrupts their focus at training, the coach knows.

“I expect the guys to come in showered,” Robertson told The Platform prior to the ’23 Super Rugby Pacific season. “They’re not yawning, they’re off their phones, their relationship with their phones and with alcohol are (healthy). I talk about it all the time.”

It’s all about maximising the individual’s ability to absorb knowledge and get the absolute most out of every day at training. Only when a player is fully present can they maximise every moment, and only when the background noise is under full control can they achieve such a high level of focus.

The messages that are delivered are carefully crafted to be concise and clear. Robertson’s experience at coaching workshops worldwide – at Saracens, the Brisbane Broncos, the Melbourne Storm, West Ham, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Cowboys to name a few – have all informed and developed this skill.

This one quote sums up his approach perfectly: “I don’t motivate people, I inspire people to be motivated”

It’s not just a calculated, winning strategy. It’s motivated by a deep-seated level of care and extends beyond the playing group.

Robertson connects players with each other’s families, connecting them with who the man beside them is playing for and offering a greater perspective on the game, taking the focus off themselves and alleviating self-inflicted pressure.

Furthering the players’ sense of empowerment is the way Robertson backs his players. Richie Mo’unga was the team’s Steph Curry as Razor likes to say, and the freedom the first five was allowed to play with affirmed that. Mo’unga’s full skillset was elevated in the Crusaders’ system, he could run freely and back himself whenever he saw fit.

Mo’unga himself has admitted that playing for the Crusaders means more to him than the All Blacks. Sam Whitelock risked aggravating his Achilles injury in a World Cup year to play in this year’s final. Robertson has achieved that golden goal of being a coach that players want to play hard and win for.

In recent seasons, the question has been asked, won’t the players get bored of winning? Well, if you didn’t switch the TV off the second the final whistle was blown that June night in Hamilton, you would’ve seen the raw emotion from the Crusaders be just as intense as it was seven years ago at Ellis Park.

Motivation is a fickle and temporary thing and sometimes offers itself as an adversary to dynasties, yet never troubled the Canterbury team.

Undoubtedly, the best moment from the All Blacks announcing Razor as the next coach was an interview with Crusaders General Manager Angus Gardiner, who was visibly emotional when reflecting on his friend and colleague’s appointment. Is New Zealand Rugby likely to offer any similar feeling of sentiment? Unlikely.

Numerous times has Robertson made a point of emphasising how aligned the Crusaders’ “spine” is off the field. That’s the connection from the players through the staff and right up to the CEO. The coach has talked in depth about how essential systematic alignment and connection are to winning.

That connection is exactly what Sir Steve Hansen called New Zealand Rugby out for following the Ireland series loss last year, the former coach labelling the relationship between the players and the board “the worst it’s ever been”.

The tactics of old-school coaches were lost on Robertson as a player and informed the progressive, expressive coaching style we see today. Breakdancing included.

There is one key ingredient to winning that is often overlooked, and that’s losing. Just as the 2011 and 2015 All Blacks credit 2007’s World Cup loss as the catalyst for their success, and the Chiefs will likely reference when hoisting the Super Rugby Pacific trophy in 2024, many championship teams credit a heartbreaking loss as instrumental in their team growth and eventual championship pedigree.

Scott Robertson bypassed this step with the Crusaders, winning in his debut season as head coach.

This is a trend in Robertson’s career. A 40-game win streak with Sumner promoted the team to the top division, a promotion to head coach of Canterbury’s NPC team was rewarded with an immediate title and it took just one year for Razor to claim the U20 World Championship. He doesn’t let his players wait for the moment.

Another aspect of his coaching that Robertson prides himself on is his selections, both of players and coaching staff. 16 Crusaders have been selected as All Blacks during the Robertson era. Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland had each graduated from assistant under Razor to head coach in Super Rugby while Jason Ryan moved straight into the All Blacks and Scott Hansen is about to do the same. Not to mention La Rochelle’s success under Ronan O’Gara.

So, how does this translate for the All Blacks?

Well, for each of the aforementioned strengths of the new All Blacks coach, a challenge awaits.

Robertson will have his hands full trying to re-establish the “spine” between the All Blacks and NZR, his pre-existing relationships with agents and management across the country will be crucial and the extent of the commercialisation of the Union will be tested by a more progressive ideology.

Selections will be fascinating as key positions have been vacated in the exodus of veteran talent. Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Dane Coles, Shannon Frizell, Aaron Smith, Leicester Fainga’anuku and Richie Mo’unga’s minutes will need replacing.

Within that new core, a new leadership group needs to be established and empowered to lead the team through thick and thin.

The All Blacks’ season is unlike that of Super Rugby, you don’t have time to build relationships and continuity to the same extent.

And of course, a new vision must be formulated to see the All Blacks return to world-beating glory.

It’s a lot to ask, but this guy understands winning. Razor doesn’t cut corners and therefore the confidence that comes out of his camp is deeply manifested and subconscious. The All Blacks on their day can beat anyone, and this is the guy who can make that day, every day.