All Blacks legend slams New Zealand Rugby for ‘burning relationship’ with top coaches as Scott Robertson’s side like a ‘Super Rugby’ team
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and New Zealand legend Jeff Wilson.
The inquest into the All Blacks’ latest disappointing defeat has well and truly started with New Zealand legends questioning the quality of coaching.
Jeff Wilson and Mils Muliaina were left frustrated after New Zealand succumbed 33-19 to England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday.
It was their third defeat of the year, following on from losses against Argentina and the Springboks, both of which made unwanted history.
When Scott Robertson’s men went down to Los Pumas, it was their first defeat in Argentina while the 43-10 reversal at the hands of South Africa was the All Blacks’ biggest ever.
With the English also claiming a massive result, with this their first success over New Zealand since the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final, it does not make for pretty reading for Robertson.
‘We’ve been patient’
“Our fans have got a right to have questions. I think we’ve been patient, we’ve given the benefit of the doubt,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“I know other coaches in this position who haven’t had the benefit of the doubt, pretty much every other All Black coach wouldn’t have had the benefit of the doubt.
“This isn’t Super Rugby, this is international rugby. They need to have a serious look at how this team is clearly not in sync when it comes to dealing with pressure.”
Head coach Robertson took over from Ian Foster following the 2023 World Cup final defeat, but there has been little discernible improvement over the past two seasons.
Debate has therefore raged over the reasons behind that, with Robertson, his backroom team and the quality of the squad all being questioned.
Wilson does not believe it to be the latter, with the All Blacks legend insisting that the talent is there in New Zealand, but he has bemoaned the loss of some quality coaches overseas.
“We spent years trying to work out how to win World Cups and we let all of that walk out the door, all of that coaching IP,” he said.
“Those coaches now don’t want a bar of New Zealand Rugby, that relationship has been burned. We’ve got some of the best coaches around the world not want anything to do with New Zealand Rugby.
“That’s not good for our game at other levels, in terms of educating. It’s helping the rest of the world get better so for me that’s probably one of the most frustrating parts.
“We know we’ve got coaches who are experienced in the international game and this is the really hard learning curve for this All Blacks group.”
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Plenty of Test experience
While Robertson has handed out plenty of debuts, a core of experienced players remain, but the same old failings keep rearing its head.
Wilson has therefore suggested that the head coach is simply trying to replicate what he did with the Crusaders, where he won seven Super Rugby titles in as many seasons.
“We haven’t carried any of it through. Surely those guys that have been there and done that, we’ve got World Cup winners in this group,” he added.
“Beauden Barrett knows what it takes; how have we not leaned on them? Or have we just decided, ‘no, no, we’re taking what worked in Super Rugby and we’re going to put it in the All Blacks’? That’s what I see and I don’t see it working.”
Muliaina then chimed in and agreed with his fellow ex-All Black, claiming that the potential of the squad is not being fulfilled.
“That’s why we’re so frustrated because we’ve got the players. It would be a different story if we thought our players weren’t good enough and we had no experience,” he said.
“We’ve got 19 players that were here in the last Rugby World Cup and then we’ve got some X-factor as well, but we’re not seeing that.
“We’re not seeing the potential that we know they can get to, and particularly in moments where over the years we’ve been really good.
“Our mental side, the ability to dictate terms, dictate when we’re ahead and riding that momentum. We’re almost giving it up too easily and as a former All Black that’s hard to watch.”
