Ex-All Blacks manager: Ian Foster and Scott Robertson were ‘failed’ by NZ Rugby
Former All Blacks head coaches Scott Robertson and Ian Foster.
Ian Foster and Scott Robertson were hampered by New Zealand Rugby’s process of making the head coach put a prospective backroom team together before even getting the job.
That is according to former All Blacks manager Darren Shand, who thought that the previous two head coaches were always fighting a losing after being hired.
As part of NZ Rugby’s approach to finding to next national team boss, they tell each candidate to select who they would want as part of their coaching group.
In 2019, Foster selected John Plumtree and Brad Mooar as his forwards and backs coaches respectively, but both were axed in 2022.
Similar scenario under Robertson
A few years later under Robertson and there was, in many ways, a repeat of that scenario as Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland departed the All Blacks set-up.
Unlike Foster, however, who kept his job and took them into the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Robertson was sacked midway through his four-year deal.
The governing body are now on the lookout for another head coach and have stipulated that they must be a Kiwi and have international experience.
Providing they meet those requirements, NZR have not ruled anybody out, even if the likes of Vern Cotter and reportedly Joe Schmidt have taken it upon themselves to do just that.
Jamie Joseph and Dave Rennie are therefore favourites, but there are reports that the governing body have contacted Steve Hansen and Foster to invite them to apply.
Some have speculated that it could open up the prospect of big names coming together in order to take the All Blacks into the World Cup.
Shand, who was manager between 2004 and 2023, admitted that seeing Hansen and Foster being linked “piqued my interest a little”, before telling Sport Nation’s Millsy & Guy show what made New Zealand so successful during his era.
“I’m just happy that they have a field that’s worthy. One thing I’ve been reflecting on lately is the system of asking a head coach to bring his team with him has kind of failed the last two coaches because it just limits the field,” he said.
“I think it’s good that they’re going to get the head coach right and how good would it be if you get the coaching group that’s made up of other head coaches as well? You want the best.
“It happened organically with Graham [Henry] but he hired Steve and Wayne [Smith], and suddenly you’re putting three head coaches together and saying: ‘come on, let’s make it work’.
“I just hope that’s where we get to this time. We find the best and the best find a way to work together for the best interests of the game and this great team.”
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Getting the best outcome for the All Blacks
Shand therefore hopes that everyone can work together in order to get the best for the All Blacks heading into the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
“I think there needs to be a more transparent process, not just with New Zealand Rugby but a group of good people that can understand the skill sets that are needed to run much more than a team,” he said.
“Expanding that scope out and saying: ‘Hey, I know that there’s people you’ve worked with in the past and that’s important, but let’s just test it’.
“Let’s know that is the right group and let’s go through a rigorous recruitment to make sure we have got that right, so we know the DNA of the game that we want.”
Shand spent two decades as All Blacks manager, being part of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup wins under Henry’s and Hansen’s coaching regimes respectively.
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“The head coach is obviously going to have to present some sort of vision for how he wants the game to be played and that’s the thing you’ve got to get right first,” he added.
“Let’s go through a process with him and a whole lot of other people and see if we can find an alignment with people who have proved themselves at the highest level in leading programmes, as well as just being assistants.
“I think there’s a balance but I think having some really strong head coaches within a coaching group, and not just one, is of real value.
“My experience was that we had that robustness across the group and they found a way to connect and work well together.”