All Blacks: Legend Jeff Wilson questions timing of Scott Robertson statement

Dylan Coetzee
Scott Robertson walking.

Scott Robertson walking.

All Blacks legend Jeff Wilson has questioned the timing of Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson’s statement on his ambitions for the future.

Robertson said he would take on a coaching role with another country as he would like to win the World Cup with two different nations in his career.

Bad timing

However, with All Blacks head coach Ian Foster under immense pressure ahead of two Tests against the Springboks in South Africa, Wilson believes Robertson’s statement may have come at a bad time.

“The trouble is that Scott Robertson has come out and said he wants to win two Rugby World Cups with two different teams, he wants to get the opportunity to coach at the international level,” Wilson said on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown.

“It is interesting he said that when he is actually under contract with New Zealand Rugby. I find that difficult.

“The fact that he is going to coach the Barbarians… I think he had the opportunity to coach the All Blacks XV, he turned that down.

“So, we know exactly where Scott Robertson sits right now. His expectations are that he wants to go to the next level.

“But they [the All Blacks] have a job to do and I think this has put, in some ways, New Zealand Rugby in a really difficult situation.”

Building momentum

Wilson believes the All Blacks will have to win at least one of their opening two Rugby Championship games for the side to begin building momentum yet again.

“Where does Ian Foster sit right now? He knows that he has got two test matches to deliver,” he said.

“I think if they split two, I think if they win one over there, and perform, it will give him an opportunity to come up against… Argentina, who we can beat, Australia, we’ve had their number… then you can build some momentum.

“But the future is right in these two test matches [in South Africa]. If he lost both, it would be really hard, really difficult.”

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