Ex-Springboks captain launches passionate defence of Scott Robertson who creates ‘better players and better people’
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and former Springboks captain Bob Skinstad (inset).
Former Springboks captain Bob Skinstad is adamant that Scott Robertson will be a “great, great, great” All Blacks head coach.
The 50-year-old succeeded Ian Foster following the Rugby World Cup and has presided over four victories in five, including a hard-fought 2-0 series win over England, but that single defeat to Argentina certainly stings.
New Zealand’s style of play has also been criticised with the team struggling to show the type of attacking verve which has been synonymous with the side over the years.
Departure of MacDonald
Those issues came to a head last week when attack coach Leon MacDonald departed the set-up after failing to match Robertson’s rugby philosophy.
It has not been an easy start for the Crusaders legend, whose arrival as All Blacks boss was greeted with much fanfare, but Skinstad expects him to get it right eventually.
“I think New Zealand are incredibly talented with an amazing array of quality players. I also think you’ve got a number of high quality coaches in not only the attack area but also defence and scrum,” he told The Platform.
“I think Scott Robertson is a fantastic appointment, I’ve made no bones over the years about my love for his rugby philosophy.
“We played against each other as Colts for our countries and then had some games against each other as full internationals.
“My relationship with him has never changed since the first beer that we had as 20-year-olds.
“He’s come out to Cape Town a few times, he’s played in my tournament, the Cape Town 10s. He’s coached the juniors and I’ve always, always thought to myself that that guy is going to be a great, great, great All Blacks coach, and I know he will.”
The upcoming games against the Springboks will be a huge test of this All Blacks side’s capabilities and successive losses would increase the scrutiny on Robertson, especially if it is compounded by poor performances.
However, Skinstad has hit out at those who think New Zealand should be dominant from the get-go.
‘Everybody wants success yesterday
“These days everybody wants success yesterday. I don’t think that’s the kind of pressure they should be putting on Razor and his team,” he said.
“What they (All Blacks coaches) should be saying is: ‘Where do we need to go to be the All Blacks we know we can be?’ And I’m 100 per cent certain that that’s his focus.
“He’s a great man-manager and a good player-manager, and the players who play in and around his coaching staff will be better players and better people. That’s good for rugby.
“I still want to beat him, I still want us to beat him, I still want us to beat the All Blacks, I still want the rivalry to be as big and rough and intense and nuanced as it is, but I have the utmost respect for him.”
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