All Blacks great slams ‘naive’ New Zealand Rugby after ‘terrible’ decision over Scott Robertson appointment

Colin Newboult
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and former back-row Murray Mexted (inset).

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and former back-row Murray Mexted.

Former All Blacks back-row and outspoken pundit Murray Mexted believes that they are ‘stuck’ with Scott Robertson and his coaches until they become ‘world-class selectors.’

New Zealand are currently in a transition phase following the 2023 Rugby World Cup having seen an overhaul of both the coaching and playing staff.

Mexted appeared to suggest that New Zealand Rugby’s inability to properly set up a succession plan has resulted in their current issues.

Robertson became the first person from outside the All Blacks set-up to be appointed head coach for two decades.

Graham Henry, who was hired after the 2003 global tournament, was the last with his successors, Steve Hansen and Ian Foster, part of previous backroom teams before being promoted to the top role.

Poor Rugby Championship

The All Blacks have endured a mixed 2024 so far, losing three of their opening four Rugby Championship matches to take them out of title contention.

Mexted’s theory is that selection has been their key downfall and that Robertson is still very much finding his feet in terms of working out the best combinations.

“These guys are learning their trade, we’re stuck with that. This is a decision that New Zealand Rugby made,” he told The Platform. “They made this decision, they created this situation and nobody’s held them to account. It was naive.

“We’ve spoken before about naming the replacement for Ian Foster last year before the Rugby World Cup – how naive do you have to be to do that? It’s terrible.

“We’re paying the price. I think these guys are capable of doing a very good job but it doesn’t mean to say that they’re world-class selectors at the moment.

“I think they’re making mistakes in selection and that’s where they’ve got to think pretty long and hard about what they’re doing.”

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Mexted has given his backing to Robertson, who enjoyed remarkable success at the Crusaders, but feels that it could take time for the 50-year-old to get it right.

‘Proven coach’

“There’s no question that Razor Robertson is a proven coach, and has been for many years now, and people are forgetting that.

“One of the problems we’ve got is selection and I think that’s probably why we haven’t got [Leon] MacDonald and the selection panel anymore because too many cooks spoil the broth. There’s too many people having a crack at what they think they should do.

“The other is that – and I might be saying this because I’m getting on – you don’t get worse as a selector, you get better. You become more rounded and you have a fuller perspective, and you’re not affected emotionally when you select. It was probably the key to Graham Henry’s and Steve Hansen’s success.

“The attrition rate is the same with coaches as it is with players and there needs to be some sort of continuity. What we’ve got at the moment is we’ve got a whole new guard and there’s no continuity.

“Most of them haven’t been exposed to international rugby at this level and there’s a big difference between selecting players at Super Rugby level and internationals against South Africa and Australia in Sydney.

“I think that’s something we’ve got to bear in mind; these guys are still learning their trade.”

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