Razor's cut from All Blacks shows how ruthless Test Rugby has become
Test rugby is the most unforgiving of environments. And the All Blacks gig is undoubtedly the most pressurised gig in the rarefied air of the international game.
Scott Robertson has found that out the hard way. In an unprecedented move, New Zealand rugby’s power brokers have parted ways with the 51-year-old, two years into a four-year deal which was supposed to take him through to the 2027 World Cup.
The All Blacks don’t do knee-jerk reactions. They are always measured when it comes to these kind of decisions. They didn’t pull the plug when Graham Henry’s squad crashed out at the quarter-final stage of the 2007 World Cup after a shock loss to France in Cardiff.
Scott Robertson. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
That was a spectacular underachievement for such a talented playing group. Henry, flanked by Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, was backed to lead the All Blacks through to the next global showpiece, with the All Blacks landing the World Cup on home soil.
So, the Kiwis don’t tend to overreact. In this instance, they felt they needed to swing the axe. On the face of it, it would seem a bit dramatic. After all, Robertson only lost three Tests last season. Three Tests too many for the expectant Kiwi rugby public.
The standards expected of the All Blacks head coach are relentless, lofty and perhaps a bit deluded at times.
Rieko Ioane of New Zealand leads the Haka. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
It’s worth noting that Robertson won 20 of his 27 Tests in charge. A 74 per cent win ratio, which was superior to his predecessor, Ian Foster, who won just under 70 per cent of his 46 Tests at the helm.
Foster’s final act was getting the All Blacks to the 2023 World Cup final, with the Springboks prevailing by a solitary point. Foster, who had succeeded Hansen as head coach, spent four years in the firing line.
Time and again, he faced calls to be sacked. Robertson, the popular choice, was repeatedly put forward as the younger, more progressive and dynamic option who could bring back the glory days, especially after the All Blacks had suffered the ignominy of losing a three-Test series to Ireland on home soil in the summer of 2022.
Pic: David Ramos – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images
In the end, the players went in to bat for Foster. They played for the under-fire coach until the very end.
So, there’s an irony about Robertson’s shock exit this week. It sounds like some senior players had a major influence in this decision, with All Blacks centurion Ardie Savea to the fore.
The powerful backrower, who is currently plying his trade with Kobe Steelers in Japan, was reportedly set to walk away from the All Blacks environment such was his dissatisfaction with the coaching setup. Leinster, who have become a gap-year programme for All Blacks superstars, were mooted as a possible direction of travel.
To borrow an old-school saying, Robertson appeared to lose the dressing room. All was not well on the pitch. Clearly, all was not well off it either.
Robertson won 20 of his 27 games in charge, but it wasn’t just results which were causing ructions. It was the performances. For large swathes of this rocky regime, the All Blacks looked lost at sea tactically.
And some of the defeats left deep scars. New Zealand lost their first away game to Argentina this year. They suffered a record 43-10 humiliation at the hands of South Africa in Wellington. The 33-19 drubbing by England in Twickenham appeared to be the final straw.
Ardie Savea of New Zealand reacts after losing to South Africa. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
A review was conducted in the wake of that autumn tour of Europe, which included a victory against Ireland in Chicago. It was conducted by NZR chairman David Kirk, who led his country to World Cup glory in 1987, former test hooker Keven Mealamu and former NZR high performance manager Don Tricker.
It is understood that multiple senior players delivered scathing feedback on the culture, the environment and the coaching in the current All Blacks setup.
There was believed to be widespread discontent in the camp. Kirk and Co had heard enough. So, Robertson was handed his P45 this week, just 20 months out from the next World Cup.
The feeling among the New Zealand top brass was this was the right time to make a clean break.
Lest we forget, Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber arrived into a shambolic Springboks setup just 19 months out from the 2019 World Cup. We all know how things played out in Japan.
The next head coach has a daunting schedule ahead of them this year. New Zealand host France, Italy and Ireland in the Nations Championship in July followed by a trip to South Africa for an eight-match tour in August and September, which includes four Tests against the reigning world champions.
Pic: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
They then face Australia home and away in the Bledisloe Cup in October before travelling to Europe in November for more Nations Championship matches, with Scotland, Wales and England providing the opposition.
Robertson will not be a part of it and it remains to be seen if his backroom team of Scott Hansen, Jason Ryan and Tamati Ellson are retained.
A clearout is likely. Ryan, the highly-rated forwards coach, is the only one of those assistants who looks likely to survive the cull.
So, where did it all go wrong? This has been an astonishing turn of events. Simply because Robertson was such a popular choice. He had a serious body of work behind him, guiding the Crusaders to an unprecedented seven consecutive Super Rugby titles.
No, the former All Blacks No8 didn’t have any international or overseas experience on his CV. But he was clearly a brilliant operator. Time and again, he has been linked with big gigs, be it club or international, across the globe. Indeed, he has already being linked with a move to Harlequins.
Robertson had presence, too. A coach renowned for building a strong team culture, a winning mindset and dazzling attacking rugby as well.
Pic: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images
So, how did none of that translate to the All Blacks setup? From the early days, his tenure was blighted by noises of player unrest and frustrations behind the scenes. Jason Holland, a former Munster player and assistant coach, signalled his intention to leave the All Blacks coaching setup at the conclusion of the November tour.
Holland was the second assistant coach to leave Robertson’s backroom team, following in the footsteps of former All Black Leon MacDonald who headed for the exit door in 2024. To lose one assistant coach is unfortunate, to lose two in the space of 12 months raised a lot of red flags.
The other big issue is Roberson simply didn’t have the same calibre of player available to him as previous coaching regimes. Icons such as Sam Cane, Aaron Smith, Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick retired after the 2023 World Cup.
Richie Mo’unga, the brilliant out-half who worked closely under Robertson at the Crusaders, signed a long-term deal with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in Japan, thus ruling him out of All Blacks contention. After three years abroad, Mo’unga is returning to New Zealand shores in the summer, which could be a game-changer. He’s been missed.
Regardless of the coaching issue, this is not a vintage All Blacks outfit. Savea, Will Jordan and Jordie Barrett are arguably the only players in World XV territory, with players such as Cam Roigard, Fabian Holland, Damian McKenzie and Caleb Clarke knocking on the door.
Robertson, known affectionately as ‘Razor’ to players and supporters alike, was repeatedly hailed for his coaching nous. Ronan O’Gara still speaks about his transformative short spell with the Crusaders, a stint in Christchurch which shaped his entire coaching philosophy.
Now, Robertson finds himself at a loose end midway through this World Cup cycle. He remains an excellent coach. And he won’t be out of work for too long.
Pic: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
The IRFU will be keeping tabs on developments. Robertson would be an ideal choice to take over at Leinster when/if Leo Cullen decides to call it quits. If the province fail to land a Champions Cup this season, then the province could be looking to make a move a lot sooner. Again, the New Zealander won’t be idle for long.
The All Blacks, meanwhile, are plotting a new path forward. Jamie Joseph is the early favourite to land the vacant gig.
The former All Blacks flanker has the experience and pedigree. He landed a historic maiden Super Rugby title for the Highlanders in 2015. He is currently back in Dunedin coaching that franchise again.
On the Test scene, he masterminded that famous 2019 World Cup pool win against Ireland in Shizuoka, when Joe Schmidt’s side were shellshocked.
Jamie Joseph Pic: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images
The issue for Joseph is Tony Brown, his right-hand man at the Highlanders and Japan, is currently part of Erasmus’ Springboks coaching setup. Brown is one of the most highly-rated attack coaches on the scene. Could Joseph tempt the former New Zealand out-half back to his native land?
There are no shortage of alternative candidates. Joe Schmidt, Dave Rennie and Vern Cotter have all been mentioned. Current Munster head coach Clayton McMillan could also be in the mix.
All those characters will know exactly what is ahead of them, however. When it comes to coaching the All Blacks, failure is not an option. Robertson can attest to that.
