Sam Whitelock opens up on ‘uncomfortable’ All Blacks coaching situation involving Scott Robertson and Ian Foster
Former lock Sam Whitelock and new All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson.
Sam Whitelock has discussed the All Blacks coaching saga which almost resulted in Scott Robertson taking over from Ian Foster in 2022.
The 49-year-old has now of course taken on the role but he could have been in the hotseat earlier than expected after Foster’s struggles.
New Zealand suffered a number of surprising defeats under Sir Steve Hansen’s successor which left him on the brink of being sacked.
With Robertson being lined up to replace him, it potentially put Whitelock in a difficult situation having played under the former flanker at the Crusaders.
Whitelock’s view
“The one thing we hadn’t done consistently over the past four years was more important: winning. We had set a number of unwanted records, which was always going to put the spotlight on the coach,” the ex-All Blacks lock wrote in his autobiography, Samuel Whitelock: View from the Second Row.
“At times it was uncomfortable. I had been captain of a successful Crusaders side who had won multiple titles under Robertson, and it was no secret that if Fozzie lost his job then Razor would be taking over.
“I wouldn’t say it put me in an awkward position, because I knew my lane and stuck to it, but I also knew that people wanted to know what I really thought.
“Well, what I really thought was that it was somebody else’s decision to make, and that I would give 100 per cent to whoever coached me.”
Sam Whitelock: ‘All Blacks were not being coached well enough’
A remarkable 35-23 victory over the Springboks, combined with the backing of the players, convinced New Zealand Rugby to retain the services of Foster.
“It’s no great secret that our win over South Africa at Johannesburg in August 2022 saved Foster’s job. We were coming off five losses in six Tests, including that unprecedented home-series loss to Ireland,” Whitelock wrote.
“Long story short, there was a group of players that went to New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson’s room following the Test to lobby strongly for Fozzie to remain in the role.
“As part of the leadership group I was among them, but I can honestly say I was blindsided by the idea. Others in the group were really keen on going, while some members of the squad didn’t even have a clue it was happening.
“Was it the right thing to do? Good question. It’s a sticking point for me because, as I’ve said, it is not our job as players to back or sack the coach.
“If you flip that scenario on its head and we had a group of players approaching the CEO to have a popular coach sacked, how do you think that would be received by the public?
“What we had was a group of emotional people, in an emotional situation, influencing decisions that should not be based on emotion.
“To me, what happened that night is not what good leadership looks like. As a player, the first thing you have to be loyal to is the team, the jersey, the fern, whatever word you want to use.”
‘World’s worst kept secret’
Whitelock also confirmed that NZR had already put plans in place should they have decided to have fired Foster.
“The world’s worst-kept secret was that Razor was basically given the word by NZR leadership to start assembling his coaching team around that time. It’s been widely reported, so I’m not talking out of school,” he added.
“It’s true that I felt stuck in the middle. I have relationships with Razor and Fozzie that are built on trust, and while they’re different relationships, I value them both.
“I know people find it frustrating that I am hazy on this subject but it is not indifference – it is more that I have always needed to look at it dispassionately.
“I knew that there was a good chance that if I planted my flag on one or the other’s mast and the other person got the job, then I would be compromised.
“I didn’t allow myself to have a strong opinion one way or the other as to whether Team Robertson should be brought in or Team Foster should be retained and I can’t suddenly retroactively form one for the sake of a headline.”
