All Blacks head coach announcement: Five takeaways as Dave Rennie raises NZ Rugby issue amid ‘unavoidable’ Rassie Erasmus parallel
New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and an inset of Jamie Joseph.
Following New Zealand Rugby’s decision to hire Dave Rennie as the new All Blacks head coach, here are five takeaways.
Top line
The saga, search and debate are over. Dave Rennie is the new All Blacks coach who will be tasked with getting New Zealand back on track for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Rennie, who is of Cook Islands descent through his mother (Titikaveka, Rarotonga), becomes the first All Blacks head coach with Pasifika heritage and will need to hit the ground sprinting with a mighty international season ahead with the Nations Championship and Greatest Rivarly Series first on his agenda.
He gets the nod ahead of ex-Japan boss and current Highlanders head coach Jamie Joseph after what NZR Chair David Kirk described as the most thorough process that the organisation has ever undertaken to appoint an All Blacks head coach.
“The All Blacks are set for a challenging and exciting two seasons ahead, and it’s critical we followed a thorough process to find the right head coach,” the 1987 World Cup winner said.
“Dave has a clear direction for the team that gives us confidence the team will be well-positioned to perform as we head into the 2027 Rugby World Cup.”
There are two very important points on Rennie’s appointment. One, he has only signed a deal through to the conclusion of the World Cup in Australia next year. Two, he will honour his commitments with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan until the conclusion of the Japan Rugby League One competition.
So until June, he will be double-jobbing it before focus shifts solely on the inbound threats that France, Italy and Ireland pose.
Still, for Rennie, it’s a stunning story of revival as he returns to the highest level possible after being unceremoniously, unfairly and foolishly sacked by Rugby Australia in 2023. He now gets his shot at a Rugby World Cup with his country of birth in a position that Sir Graham Henry believed he deserved six years ago.
The North Island-born man wasn’t good enough to play for the All Blacks, but his stacked coaching CV suggests that he absolutely deserves to lead them.
He was hugely successful with the New Zealand u20s winning a hat-trick of Junior World Championships, rampaged to back-to-back Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs, and laid the groundwork for Glasgow Warriors’ success, where he led the team to a PRO14 Final (now the URC).
His Wallabies record wasn’t the most glowing, but he did boast an impressive 75% win-rate against the Springboks – a statistic that wouldn’t have escaped the appointment panel’s attention.
New All Blacks head coach confirmed as Jamie Joseph overlooked for top job
Jamie Joseph’s third time unlucky, where did he fall short?
After whittling down the list of candidates to just two, could New Zealand Rugby really have gone wrong with either Rennie or Jamie Joseph? Only time will tell for the former, but why was the latter overlooked for the position for a third time?
Understandably, NZ Rugby chair Kirk was not willing to divulge any information on their decision-making, so we are left to read between the lines. In 2020, he was a serious contender for the position, but NZ Rugby backed continuity, hiring Sir Steve Hansen’s long-time assistant Ian Foster. Joseph ultimately re-signed with Japan. In 2023, he contested for the position as the only competitor to Scott Robertson, but the then-Crusaders boss was favoured. This time around was perhaps his best opportunity. But third time was not the charm with Rennie getting the edge.
Reports suggested before the final appointment was formalised that Joseph was more ‘open’ to the idea of working with Robertson’s former assistants Scott Hansen, Jason Ryan and Tamati Ellison, who are still employed at NZ Rugby. It was not clear whether that would positively or negatively impact his chances. The outcome suggests that it was the latter, which would make sense if NZ Rugby are going for a full clean slate.
Additionally, there is a view that Joseph is an ‘old school’ operator, a term of endearment, sure, but one that might not fit the needs of the All Blacks playing group. Springboks legend Victor Matfield provided some insight into that, having spoken to Japanese players while serving as an assistant under current head coach Eddie Jones.
“One thing I must say is from the Japanese players, they weren’t too happy with Jamie Joseph at the end,” Matfield said.
“Why, that is, it sounded like he was very strict and very set in his ways.”
He is also renowned for his long, gruelling training sessions. Rennie is no saint; he is a tough customer, too, with Rassie Erasmus referencing stories of Test match Thursdays. But there is an assertion that the former Wallabies boss has a more flexible and more delicate touch in general.
The real elephant in the room around Joseph’s snub lies in South Africa, with Tony Brown honouring his commitment to the Springboks through to the Rugby World Cup. Much of Joseph’s success has come when paired with the widely regarded, loved and respected not only as a world-class attack coach but also as an all-round pleasure to work with and under.
It’s not uncommon for top coaches to have their trusty lieutenant. Erasmus had Nienaber, Henry had Hansen and Wayne Smith, Hansen had Foster, Warren Gatland had Rob Howley and so on. Would Joseph have stood a better chance with Brown in the picture? Indisputably yes.
NZ Rugby have made no secret of its desire to get the former All Blacks pivot on its payroll. Foster and Robertson tried but failed. As it stands, he is keeping his options beyond 2027 open with SA Rugby moving to tie down the Bok coaching ticket through to USA 2031, but Erasmus has stated that they won’t stand in his way if he wishes to return home post 2027.
Murmurs in New Zealand suggest that Joseph was also eager to sign a long-term contract to be the All Blacks head coach, whilst Rennie was content with a deal through to the end of the World Cup cycle. At a time of such uncertainty, it’s completely understandable that NZ Rugby don’t want to commit long-term. The remit is until the tournament across the ditch, and then a re-evaluation can occur.
Showing a coach the door when their contract is up is a hell of a lot easier than navigating contract termination talks, and it’s cheaper.
Time to earn the right
“One advantage is players are going to have to earn the right to wear the jersey. I’ve got no loyalties,” Dave Rennie declared at his first media briefing as the new All Blacks head coach.
Having last coached in New Zealand back in 2017, many of the players that he worked so closely with have now hung up their boots, moved on or simply not be of international standard anymore. There are a handful of exceptions, but for the most part, his statement is bang on.
Even if Joseph were to be the man entrusted with the job, the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season could make or break a player’s international ambitions. But the dial is turned up somewhat with Rennie in charge.
The major caveat is, will NZ Rugby allow the new head coach to be truly ruthless? Will he be permitted to cut underperforming All Blacks who are on NZ Rugby deals? These are critical questions. These kinds of contracts are pivotal to keep top players on local shores have been detrimental to international teams when a head coach is pressured to select those contracted players. South Africa suffered in previous years; it’s impacted Ireland too and one can argue that it has done the same for the All Blacks too.
There are those that will be selected regardless of form with experience and past pedigree getting them through the door, as much as Rennie claims that selections will be ‘form-based’. There is no way that the likes of the Barretts, Ardie Savea, Cam Roigard, Codie Taylor, and Will Jordan don’t get the nod even if their form dips.
Overseas player issue already raised
The parallels with Erasmus are unavoidable whenever a nation makes a big coaching change so close to a Rugby World Cup. So the question is how much of SA Rugby’s playbook will New Zealand follow? Erasmus signed an unheard-of eight-year deal in 2018; Rennie’s contract doesn’t compare.
But will the new NZ Rugby board move with the times and at least give Rennie some leeway in selecting overseas players? It’s an issue that Robertson raised almost immediately when he took over the reins, as he pushed to get his serial winning fly-half Richie Mo’unga in his squad. He was unsuccessful with his pleas.
Rennie has followed suit, as he too raised the issue, as he would jump at the opportunity to get Brodie Retallick in his squad. The legendary All Blacks lock has been in incredible nick for Rennie’s Kobe team in Japan, scoring 11 tries in 10 appearances this campaign.
“I’ll comment on Brodie Retallick. I get to see him train and play every week. He’s stronger than he’s ever been,” said Rennie.
“He’s fitter than he’s ever been. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to, but there’s no doubt you want to win a World Cup, ideally, you’ve got your best players available.”
Eddie Jones lathered similar praise on Retallick last month.
“I tell you, mate, the All Black I’d get back is Brodie Retallick. You should see him play up here. 35! He’s the best player here by an absolute mile; every game is absolutely sensational,” he remarked.
“He’d be a guy that if I did get a tap on the shoulder, I’d be saying, ‘Come on let’s go, let’s go again, whatever they’re paying you, we’ll pay you double’.”
Rennie would ‘jump at the opportunity’ to get Retallick back in the mix, understandably so, but ultimately the decision lies with New Zealand Rugby.
“There’s a bit of a player drain here, a lot of our best players will eventually leave and play overseas and strengthen their rugby,” Rennie added, highlighting the quality of the rugby and innovation abroad.
SA Rugby made that tough call when they hired Erasmus. Will NZ Rugby be willing to do the same, even if it comes with a ‘Giteau Law’ styled caveat? They might not need to go full hog like South Africa but there is no doubt that guys like Retallick and Sam Cane, two players with over 100 Test caps worth of experience, can add immense value. Rennie spoke highly about how much he learnt during his time at the Glasgow Warriors and the same is true for the players.
Captain should be the last issue
Unsurprisingly, the question of the All Blacks captain was put to the new head coach. After stating that having no loyalties to any players was an advantage of his, he was never going to name his captain in his first press conference and rightly so, there is no need. The All Blacks’ first Test match is on 4 July – 122 days from taking on the job.
In fact, the captaincy should be one of the last things that Rennie addresses. The candidates are there, and they stick out like sore thumbs: Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, and Codie Taylor, and you can also throw in the likes of Beauden and Jordie Barrett.
Frankly, he could leave the position open until the tour to South Africa if he wishes, appointing a leadership group and making a call on who the skipper will be through to the World Cup, having figured out who best translates his messages, challenges him, or sticks to task, whatever he requires.
Who makes up his coaching staff is more of a pressing issue. The future of Jason Ryan must surely be his biggest call. Robertson’s lieutenant transformed a struggling All Blacks pack into a dominant one on a dime under Ian Foster and was a crucial cog in the team that reached the World Cup final. Can NZ Rugby afford to lose his IP to another nation? One would think not but whether it agrees with that is pivotal.
The new coach’s statement that not all innovation comes from New Zealand hints at the idea that it is entirely possible that Rennie’s backroom staff won’t be an all-Kiwi affair. Englishman Dan McFarland and Scotsman Mike Blair work with him at Kobe at the moment. Scott Wisemantel, Matt Taylor and Dan McKellar all served as assistants during his time at the Wallabies.
Blair could well be in the mix, having also worked with the Warriors as did Jason O’Halloran, Kenny Murray and John Dalziel – who was part of the British and Irish Lions’ staff last year.
The captaincy will take care of itself in many ways. Right now, the staff should be the main concern.
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