Loose Pass: Unpacking Scott Robertson’s ‘sudden’ All Blacks exit and why the next move is ‘all or nothing’ for New Zealand Rugby
Scott Robertson left his role as All Blacks head coach last week.
This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with the dust settling in New Zealand and the tension rising in Europe…
Too soon?
A question most commonly levied at one of those un-PC jokes that inevitably follow some disaster somewhere, and certainly the accusation thrown by Scotty Stevenson at Rassie Erasmus this week.
But no, the question is the one being directed at the New Zealand Rugby board after the somewhat sudden – by New Zealand standards at any rate – decision to dispense with the services of Scott Robertson last week.
Razor’s sacking has split the public in a remarkably similar manner to his initial appointment. The entire national set-up has never seemed at ease with itself throughout the past two years, from coach churn to provincial and boardroom squabbles, through both awkward defeats and breast-beating victories. Robertson himself has rarely looked anything like as relaxed or in control as he did during his record-breaking stint at the Crusaders. Two assistant coaches have come and gone, leaving behind cryptic and opaque soundbites as they departed their much-coveted roles.
The team has looked anything but fluid. At times it has looked rudderless, at other times all-destroying, but the sense was, as time ticked on, that none of the coaching staff agreed on what the first-choice XV was. The more it was tinkered with, the less it looked like the previous generation. It became more and more susceptible to physical and direct pressure games from opponents, a failing that was exposed in bleak fashion when South Africa rampaged to the 43-10 win in Wellington last year. The All Blacks looked thoroughly beaten at the end of that match, any sense of aura well and truly shattered. The same was apparent at Twickenham in November.
But too soon? Robertson had been in the job for two years, two years in which a large number of Ian Foster’s squad had moved on after the 2023 World Cup. No longer was there Sam Whitelock bringing fire from the bench, no more Sam Cane, Aaron Smith, Richie Mo’unga, Mark Tele’a, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell.
‘All Blacks have abdicated World Rugby innovators throne with Scott Robertson’s sacking’
Similar arguments could have applied to the Springboks, but this column and many others have long since been complimentary about Erasmus’ system for developing talent, ingraining the Bok culture into their mentality and bringing them through as ready players. Certainly in the two years since the World Cup, this aspect has been the most glaring difference between the two nations.
So it is interesting here also to reflect that Robertson fought his own battles on that front. He was the one angling for a Giteau rule that would allow him to call on senior overseas players; the union shot it down. Robertson’s fairly open decision to appoint himself as culture coach within the set-up also carried with it a faint whiff of trying to create something similar to Rassie’s alignment sessions. He was trying something new at least, but the local establishment seemingly didn’t like it; crucially, it seems the players didn’t either. The only thing that changed was that there was a clear disconnect somewhere in the set-up which led to the inconsistencies and weak performances against strong pressure teams at the end of the tenure.
Too soon? One of the greatest moves the NZ Board made was allowing Graham Henry to right the wrongs from 2007. The result was an unprecedented period of dominance and a coaching and cultural dynasty. But times changed as well. Something new was required. South Africa delivered it. It took time, time that Robertson does not seem to have been given. Or maybe he looked at the players’ feedback and was too resistant to it, leaving the board no choice. Maybe he didn’t want to right wrongs. Maybe he thought there were none.
But two years feels remarkably short, especially with a win ratio of 74 per cent. The NZ Board has made a big call here, the next move is all or nothing.
England’s chance to make a statement
If rumours are to be believed, Robertson’s next stop could be Twickenham. Not the big ground; a staggeringly sensible restraint of trade clause in Robertson’s termination agreement, the sort of thing the RFU forgets about, has seen to that, but rather the smaller ground across the road.
Should Quins snap him up however, it would be remiss of him not to head up to the big ground over February and March, partly to run the rule over his new franchise fly-half but also partly to check out just how good England might have become.
Henry Pollock on England’s World Cup ‘goal’ and what he ‘loves’ about rugby
Nobody is in any doubt that English rugby is building and possesses some serious strength in depth. The European fortnight past saw several standout performances from players not even in the centre circles of Steve Borthwick’s radar, not to mention a couple whose geographical base prohibits them from being anywhere near it.
But there was also inconsistency. Saracens managed to wear down Toulouse, but were well beaten by Glasgow. Northampton’s current great generation, Henry ‘Pulse Check’ Pollock and all, took a half-century against Bordeaux-Begles. And injury has hit England’s front-row, a key feature of Borthwick’s planning.
It still feels like England’s tournament for the taking. Leinster are back on track, but Irish teams in general are not showing as they did two or three years ago. Scotland’s depth is still a concern. And although France’s strength in depth is comparable, there are low murmurs of discontent with the current set-up; it’ll be fascinating to see if Matthieu Jalibert is recalled with Romain Ntamack out injured again. On form, he’s impossible to ignore at the moment.
England, having hammered probably the final nail into Robertson’s coffin in November, is thus Loose Pass’ pick for this edition. Perhaps that’ll be of some comfort to Robertson should he be looking on in his Quins tracksuit.
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