Scott Robertson was given the All Blacks head coaching role on the basis he’s a proven winner.
In seven seasons with the Crusaders, he won seven Super Rugby titles – a record which unequivocally suggests Robertson is a man who knows how to plan, how to strategise and how to stay in the fight.
These are the qualities that drew New Zealand Rugby to him in early 2023 when they announced he’d be taking over from Ian Foster after the World Cup.
It was an unprecedented move by NZR to have the next coach lined up while the incumbent still had six months of his contract to run, but it signalled how worried the national body was about losing Robertson to an international rival.
And it signalled how much faith NZR has in Robertson. It is 20 years since Graham Henry was appointed All Blacks head coach, before being replaced in 2012 by his assistant Steve Hansen, who in turn was replaced by his assistant, Foster in 2019.
Two decades of promoting within worked well for the All Blacks but there is no doubt that by mid-way through 2022, there was an overwhelming sense that NZR’s board and executive team were convinced they needed a new, enterprising figure to set the national team on a new path.
They wanted to break free from the continuity cycle and bring in someone who would not only deliver an on-field re-brand, but an off-field one, too – a more modern and accessible team that Gen Z could fall in love with.
In his two months in the role so far, Robertson has already shown that things are going to be different with him in charge.
Robertson is the man who has been installed to be that point of difference – to bring fresh-thinking and alternative ideas to the All Blacks and better connect them with a fan base that at times in the last two decades has felt a little shunned by their favourite team.
Having given him the job on a ticket to modernise the All Blacks and better equip them to thrive in the digital age, NZR is now discovering that Robertson intends to stay true to his brief.
In his two months in the role so far, Robertson has already shown that things are going to be different with him in charge.
There has been a significant clear-out of personnel with only two people – forwards coach Jason Ryan and conditioning coach Nic Gill – surviving from the previous regime.
New faces are everywhere in the Robertson set-up, with the arrival of world-renowned sports psychologist Ceri Evans of particular interest as the former international footballer had a huge impact on both Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.
Robertson has also shown a willingness to be open and accessible to the media, fronting an informal breakfast in December before holding a surprise press conference in Auckland a month later when the All Blacks were conducting their usual off-season fitness testing.
Typically, the media aren’t told about these off-season sessions and nor has the coach historically fronted, but Robertson has come into the role with a desire to keep the media close and the public connected and was happy to answer questions about all sorts of things despite the fact he won’t be picking his first squad for another six months.
The unwritten rule has been that All Blacks coaches will acknowledge the importance of keeping players in New Zealand to protect the strength of the domestic game.
There was one question in particular he was happy to answer, which was on the perennial issue of NZR’s All Blacks eligibility policy, which prevents players based overseas from being selected.
This is a hot topic in New Zealand and one that Robertson seems determined to keep in the public agenda for as long as it takes to get some kind of concession from his employer.
His predecessors have all chosen to toe the party line on this issue and not publicly challenge it. The unwritten rule has been that All Blacks coaches will acknowledge the importance of keeping players in New Zealand to protect the strength of the domestic game.
But Robertson broke with convention in April last year when he told the media that he would present the board with a plan to change the policy.
And in Auckland last week, he doubled down when he said: “What I presented to the board, the CEOs of Super Rugby, the PUs [provincial unions], Heartland, I explained about keeping an open mind to where we are in that space, that’s what I’ve asked for,” Robertson said.
“I’ve not asked for ‘can I please have someone come and play for us?’ but keep an open mind where the game is at the moment. It’s moving quite quickly, as we know, there is a lot of on and off-field, players and decisions and contracting, and I want to be a step ahead of that. Decipher that.”
Decipher that indeed because it’s not clear whether Robertson is campaigning for specific change or applying firm but gentle pressure through the media to keep the topic in the public domain or confirming that he’s simply of the view that while he supports the policy as it stands, he feels that NZR need to be flexible and willing to react if market conditions change.
The suspicion at this stage is that Robertson wants the media to keep asking the question and for the policy to continue to be debated and discussed as fervently as it currently is.
If NZR’s executive and governance team didn’t appreciate that their new coach would be asking them to embrace new thinking as much as the players, they do now.
The reason he may be doing this is to create a strong argument for change should the All Blacks struggle to produce results in 2024, having lost access to frontline talent such as Richie Mo’unga, Shannon Frizell and Leicester Fainga’anuku, as well as veterans such as Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock.
The All Blacks are facing a brutal season where they will play England three times, South Africa twice as well as facing France and Ireland. If they lose a handful of tests, Robertson will be able to push back and say that it is perhaps nonsensical for New Zealand’s financial ecosystem to be so dependent on the national team being successful and yet deny them access to key players.
It’s a sign of how smartly Robertson operates that he’s building a narrative now that may come to help him later in the year. If NZR’s executive and governance team didn’t appreciate that their new coach would be asking them to embrace new thinking as much as the players, they do now.
NZR wanted an agent of change, a radical operator with the power to engage a new audience, but did they fully understand what that would mean?
Did they know that Robertson would consider that nothing is off the table and that he will campaign to change everything and anything he doesn’t think will help the All Blacks fulfil their brief of being a winning and much-loved team?
The question that seems unlikely to go away this year is for how long can NZR continue to stick rigidly to its belief that the current eligibility system is the right one?
It’s a question being asked in England, too, as more and more star players defect to the greater riches on offer in French club rugby. The sense is growing that both NZR and the RFU have their fingers in the metaphoric dyke trying to stop the flow of player movement through stringent eligibility policies for their national teams.
However well the eligibility policy has served New Zealand in the past, times have changed, and Robertson may have an inkling that private equity investor Silver Lake could become an ally in his quest to soften the policy.
The US fund manager pumped another $62.5m into the All Blacks just before Christmas and is under pressure to generate a better return, having not produced the transitional incomes it forecast it would when it came on board in 2022.
If the All Blacks can’t maintain their amazing long-term win record, they have little hope of achieving their commercial targets and Silver Lake is most likely going to side with Robertson in pushing for some kind of change to the eligibility situation.
Robertson has only ever known success as a professional coach and it seems that on this vexed issue of player eligibility, he will ultimately secure the victory he craves.
I agree 100% with Scott Robertson. Richie Mo’unga is a brilliant no 10 as showed with 7 time champion Crusaders and All Blacks. He had to put up with the ridiculous dual play maker role with Barrett , started by Hansen and doggedly carried on by Foster. Set him free.
I have made my views clear to you that I’m against an open market. You keep arguing as if I am for one. You also assume this is what Razor wants but as I have told you, he has NOT said that. Anywhere.
It’s almost as if you ignore what I say & that my posts are just props for you to spew back your hard stance. Bloody hell, you even went as far as saying there is no value in people actually THINKING about change. That’s nuts mate. What next? We call you Bishop & give you money?
I have also pointed out to you that iterations of relaxed eliligibilty rules in Australia & South Africa have shown benefits. As examples. Plus, I mentioned we could adjust our sabbatical rules to cover the likes of a Mounga or a Frizell. As a thought.
As a real time comparison, I pointed out that England is now faced with eligibility issues for possibly half of their current squad playing in France next year. The point being this dilemma may be closer that we think.
We will need to find a Kiwi solution to this impending issue (yes it is coming) that doesn’t compromise our domestic game. It will be different to any other nation. Sticking our heads in the sand & pretending everything will be okay as long as we do nothing is madness.
Razor is correct. We need to keep an open mind. For what I think is inevitable.
Letting nzers into the aussie super teams is a no brainer. Gives more of our players exposure to a higher level while helping out Australia.
Selecting from further abroad is obviously more complicated but it will lower the value of the overseas offers available while raising even more the profile of the ABs with stars playing in Europe and Japan.
absolutely agree want to be proffesional winner then be select the best team of kiwi players the star of rugby maybe even two teams
How is Aus SR sides a “Higher Level”?
Yes, that will be one way for NZ to have 7 teams and Australia to have 3, and some balance finally. Just need for ARU to generate some investment money as it will be all the back office staff and coachs they’ll need to hire from NZ as well.
But then if they have that extra money to pay for the better players and staff on Kiwi’s, they might as well use that investment money to pay for their own Aussies to come back home.
Better to drop the bankrupt Melbourne Rebels & consolidate four strong SR teams is the best option imo. There’s no point in RA using money they haven’t got to essentially prop up the equivalent of a team made up of foreigners. That’s assuming NZers want to be a part of the “letting” process of course.
So being manipulative is being heralded as strategic genius 🙄
Media training 101 in fact.
“Campaigning”. Since when does an AB coach campaign?
Two former Chiefs have made World Cup 2023 team if the tournament picks by many experts - Bundee Aki and James Lowe. Both were not considered good enough for the ABs; instead the selectors opted for Bridge and Havilli etc. Maybe identification of talent in NZ is more important than wanting ABs to be selected from overseas. Mounga, for example, has never set the world alight against top opposition so to want him to return seems a retrograde step. Surely a world class coaching team can identify and develop talent from a pool so deep most international coaches would kill for?
Not identification, more appreciation, in Lowe’s case. Chiefs stooge was changed immediately once Foster left, no way could he have used Tawera or Cruden combo, much the same with his cronies and Lowe.
Aki left young, when SBW came back, a certain signing if eligibility had allowed back then once he grew into his game. I don’t think you can expect him to have been spotted then.
I’m pretty sure if Mounga had been playing like he did last for a while longer he would not have been allowed to leave. I mark that one down against Foster so I agree it was our mistake their, no need to change law from that. Only in an emergency (for that player). I think you will find (for the worlds leading nations) NZ depth terribly low. That could be circumstance in the generation of players (seems a lot of young 10s coming through now) and perhaps the wrong coaches (and rugby setup) kept in NZ for them, so agree they just need to work harder and smarter there too, but if there is some generational anomaly like having little to no 10s between ages 23 and 29 in NZ, then probably not much you can do accept take the hit and some poor performances/results.
More fake news from you. Bundee left for Ireland in 2014 (Havilli was 19/20 & made the ABs in 2017) & Lowe signed up for Leinster on 6 March 2017 (Bridge made the ABs 18 mths later). I haven’t seen Lowe selected by ANY “experts” let alone “many experts”, in a team of the tournament? Bundee though has featured in one.
Though I’m not sure what your point is. Individuals have always been free to sell their wares wherever they like & will continue to do so whether we change our eligibility policy or not.
“Robertson has only ever known success ….”
Yes, if you only count his stints in Chch. But Razor followed Dave Rennie coaching the NZU20s after Dave's three world titles and the team's brilliant rugby. Razor's first year was a failure, being the NZ first coach to not make the finals, while his team played inferior quality rugby.
There is no doubt that he has full support of the NZR, the rugby press and an almost evangelical following from some of the rugby public. A far cry from the support Foster received. Yet the bar is set at winning the W Cup final to eclipse Foster’s squad W Cup performance! Seems like he already has it in the bag, according to some?
I will just take a better showing from the team, don’t need to win it. Just look like they can.
Sorry, that’s fake news. Rennie stopped coaching the NZ U20s in 2010, Razor took the reins FIVE YEARS later in 2015 when the “RWC” started becoming more competitive. Chris Boyd was the 1st coach to not make the U20 finals, in 2013 & again in 2014.
In fact, in his “first year” 2015 Razor’s team actually WON the U20s “RWC”, the 1st time we'd won it since 2011. He broke the 4 year drought. In 2016 they missed a finals spot on PD. His overall match record as U20s “RWC” coach is played 15, won 14, lost 1.
As for Foster, he wasn’t supported much by many fans or media as he was a useless coach. He’d never won any major trophy as a Head Coach. A failure as Chiefs coach for 8 years with a 50% win rate, in fact. Overall his ABs win percentage is 69.5% & he ranks 17th best out of the 25 ABs coaches. No doubt his record would be worse had Jase Ryan & Joe Schmidt not saved the ABs & brought us within 2 points of a RWC win.
No question though, it’s results on the paddock we want to see from the ABs, so the hope & the hype will need to be supported by substance.
A very interesting article, and one which I would suspect is right on the money. Razor Robinson is one smart operator, and I have no doubt he is not just a ruthless man dealing with the teams he coaches, but also anyone or any group that gets in the way of his achieving his aims.
Mizlikazi If Razor cant coach with the same selection policy that every other ABs coach has had then get him out and get someone who can. I have been really looking forward to him being the coach but his media grabs and his demands via that platform are making me angry. If any coach knows the value of a NZ resident selection policy its a guy who has had SR success because of that very policy. Would he have had 10-12 ABs in his side every year had his policy been in place? NO is the simple answer.
He would be 100% aware what will happen if NZR open their policy yet he is NOW wanting it to enhance his reputation at a major cost to NZ rugby.
Rather puzzled by some of the responses here. Robertson hasn’t irresponsibly advocated for the South African scenario, where the bulk of the team is now selected from the ranks of overseas-based players. He has simply raised the question of relaxing the current restrictive eligibility rules. How to do that without damaging the domestic NZ competitions is a question well worth considering. And the answer, as some pundits have already suggested, might be to implement some version of the old Giteau rule, where (say) one back and one forward can be selected from overseas provided they have already played 40 or more tests. That hardly seems like it would open the gates to Armageddon.
Aussie was always in the top two or three in the world before the Giteau Law. Since the 2015 Cup their win ratio has been sub 40% under each of Cheika, Rennie and Jones. Why on earth should we countenance making the same mistake?
I’d suggest it might be as simple as the club allowing the player to all be under contract with NZR. They essentially agree to ABs dictating to the player etc, so something you would be likely to see being agreed to from a Top14, Prem, or URC club, but maybe you’d get a partnership with Japan ONE or aussie club?
Well said.
Again, the journo lies about the press conference to keep this topic going? When the AB coach ignores your question on the topic, surely anyone can see it is was the one question he was not interested in gaining talking minutes on?
Which means you can flip this article on its head, from ‘what’s he trying to achieve’, to “whats he trying to hide?” now?
I wonder if it’s as simple as he was told they won’t be having a bar of his idea? Or could it be more complicated that they don’t want to reduce new contract wages by alerting to change in policy before this cycle finishes? Club’s would be sure to cringe when they found out there star player could be missing for chunks of the season (it might only be the French that player through the Nov window).
If the angle of this article can be believed, and it was the above preceding suggestion that his opinion wasn’t seemed worthy on the matter, surely he would be leaking some of his key reasons for us to debate and influence NZR with?
He was surprisingly mute on the topic from what I was expecting to come out of him this year. I’m afraid now we are going to have to wait on whatever calamity he is worried about, coming to fruition before we find out more. Unless it was just that last years talk was about getting public pressure in before he had that chat at the end of the year, once he took over. It would appear we failed if that was the point of all this.
To be fair Razor hung out some thoughts & concepts, together with approaches he made to the NZ Rugby fraternity about keeping an “open mind”, & invited media to - “decipher that”. I don’t see any journo “lies”, in fact, I think the article is a nuanced summary of key issues, without drawing definitive conclusions.
It is starting to look like Razor isnt the right choice even before a team has been selected. This article says Razor was selected as coach to modernise NZ rugby. NO HE WASNT. He was hired as the coach. Is he a worse coach than every one of his predecessors? Cant he do the job without overseas selection? Time he shut up or resign. I really wanted him as the coach but he is making a complete fool of himself and is telling every player in NZ they arnt good enough for him.
Your whole comment is a blatant “forward pass” Mr Forward pass 🤣
Bloody hell. Only a “complete fool” would interpret his words that way. Try again. It’s actually a simple concept asking people to “keep an open mind”. And that includes the fan base.
Also, how do you go from “really wanted him as coach” to “shut up or resign”?
Fake???
How do you know he wasn’t? You clearly read that his appointment was already unprecedented, he is most clearly their messiah!
If NZR falls into line with Robertson's thinking and both are focused on the four year cycle to win the Webb Ellis trophy by all means open the selection criteria to include overseas players - to the detriment of super rugby and the NPC competitions.
South Africa are a prime example of this mentality with whole teams playing off shore. Yes, they won the world cup but what has their domestic game sacrificed to achieve this.
If we are OK to have weak All Black squads between World Cups because of players’ obligations to their overseas masters, by all means allow our talent to fly to the Pound, Euro and Yen.
I for one want a strong domestic competition with our best players minus those who negotiate sabbaticals in to their contracts.
Mike, I think this is where the Nation's Championship is going to really help. The Springboks will be revealed for who they really are - a team with a bit of good fortune and luck, not a great consistent side like the All Blacks of just about every era.
Tough question on the boks. They had already sacrificed their domestic game to racial integration. So I’d say they’ve sacrificed nothing to select from offhore. They have far fewer teams that NZ does, even Aus, though. And far, far, more players. I think they find their balance of youth coming through to be perfect for them now. That’s what weve heard.
What about something in-between those two?
An excellent article.
Will be funny if he fails tho.
Like Robbie Deans, being in the slick Canterbury setup, having played there myself, may have over inflated his real skills