Four things on Razor's 2025 All Blacks Christmas wish list

It’s December, and it’s time to open the first couple of chocolates in the Christmas advent calendars. All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, who has now had the reigns for two years now, will be hoping Santa places some much-needed presents under the tree come December 25.

The All Blacks lost four times from 14 Tests in Razor’s first year in charge, and then in 2025, an incremental improvement was seen in the win/loss column, as the All Blacks only felt defeat three times in the international season.

Here’s what Razor may want, or some will say needs, under the 2025 Christmas tree.

Richie Mo’unga’s flights to South Africa

Razor has got his man. Yes, Richie Mo’unga won’t be back for the whole of 2026 like Robertson would have liked, but the first-five that led the Crusaders to a number of titles will be back in black sometime next year.

But when he’s scheduled to come back, the All Blacks will be under a year out from the Rugby World Cup in 2027. That may not worry Robertson or his coaching staff, but the longer a playmaking trio of Mo’unga, Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett are fighting for spots in the match day 23, the better and more efficient the All Blacks may be heading towards the World Cup.

The long, historic, and old tours of South Africa are back in 2026, and you get the feeling that another fast-track situation with NZR could be on the cards if all parties play ball.

“I get the rules that have been put in place, and I guess I have to come to grips with that is what it is. But yeah, the South African tour would be something special to be part of,” Mo’unga told Patrick McKendry in a 1News interview two weeks ago.

“Hey, we’ll see what happens. I’m still very optimistic that something might happen, and I might be available for that tour. So, I’m still hopeful.

“I’m going home to give myself the best chance to play for the All Blacks again, but I understand it’s not a given, and that South African tour is actually something I’d love to be part of.”

There’s no two ways about it, Razor wants Mo’unga to tour South Africa with the squad, and as mentioned in the first-five’s interview, it’s clear he wants to play a part. Leicester Fainga’anuku did play some NPC this year before being called into the All Blacks squad and eventually shuffled into the match day 23, despite there being talks about NZR only letting this happen if push came to shove.

There are some conversations to be had, contracts to be discussed, and boundaries to be pushed, but Robertson and his under-pressure coaching staff will for sure want their main man for “The Greatest Rivalry” tour in August 2026.

Is this what this All Blacks team needs to push on? Does Robertson’s/Scott Hansen’s hands-on coaching style and game plan rely on Mo’unga steering the ship? There are questions to be answered, but Mo’unga’s impact next year is in NZR’s hands.

An injury-free season for Cameron Roigard

Roigard has bizarrely only played 17 Tests, and in that short amount of time, the Hurricanes halfback has only lost three Test matches. One against the Springboks in the bloodbath, pre-2023 Rugby World Cup in London, and then one on both the 2024 and 2025 end-of-year tours to France and England, respectively.

The 25-year-old halfback missed both Tests against South Africa this year, one Test against France and then Wales on the Grand Slam tour. What has been talked about is the obvious drop off in quality, running game, game nous, kicking execution, and all-around class every time Finlay Christie, Noah Hotham, or Cortez Ratima were on the field.

They are all, without doubt, more than capable Test players on their day, but the All Blacks don’t have the one-two punch they probably want, and need going forward.

Some will say it’s too early for Highlanders and Otago halfback Dylan Pledger to make the jump to Test level, but his run-first instinct and quickness to the breakdown could be the missing piece off the bench in 2026.

What isn’t up for discussion is that a Roigard Super Rugby injury could put an already under-performing, lacklustre All Black backline into complete destruction one year out from the Rugby World Cup.

Coaching staff stability…

It’s never a good sign when two of your appointed assistant coaches at the start of your tenure have left by the time you are halfway through a World Cup cycle, and the fact that both were attacking-minded coaches could be a more worrying fact.

Now look, Jason Holland and Leon MacDonald’s departures could be completely unrelated and have nothing to do with the attacking beliefs of both Robertson and Hansen, but we may never know.

But it begs the question, are the right voices being heard, and are there too many voices in an environment where clarity and cohesion are a must-have?

We may never find out the real reason why Holland and MacDonald left, but whoever they decide to replace Holland with must either have successful international experience or the knowledge and skill set to provide the All Blacks with something they’re currently not getting.

An article from the New Zealand Herald late last month claimed Robertson had delegated “the role most would recognise as the head coach” to assistant coach Scott Hansen. The All Blacks have since disputed the accuracy of that claim.

Regardless, there are serious question marks around whether this coaching group, inexperienced in the Test arena as they are, could use some battle-hardened international brains.

The All Blacks’ best performance of the year was undoubtedly at Eden Park on September 6, where they outsmarted, outplayed, and out-coached a Springboks side in Robertson’s most important Test so far at the helm.

There may be no coincidence that Wayne Smith spent the whole week in All Blacks camp, the week where Robertson’s side produced their best performance of his tenure in the context of the situation.

Whether it’s La Rochelle’s Ronan O’Gara, the Springboks’ Tony Brown, Leinster’s Kiwi assistant in Tyler Bleyendaal, or Cory Jane’s expertise to help fix the aerial issues, the All Blacks and Robertson desperately need stability to regain momentum ahead of the World Cup down under.

They may not appoint anyone, elevating someone from within, but something must change so that no other assets are leaving New Zealand shores.

A firing on all cylinders backline

To say Robertson’s backline has lacked punch, power, and intent compared to previous All Blacks sides is an understatement, with the constant tinkering and injury-related changes making it hard to see what the All Blacks’ attacking game plan actually is.

The kicking strategy and understanding of the situation with Beauden Barrett struggled towards the end of the year, and the questionable decision-making was highlighted in the loss against England, when Barrett stayed on the field despite being injured, with him and Roigard failing to find touch on a couple of occasions.

The in-play kicking often feels pointless, either not being executed properly on the length or height, and the kick chasers not being positioned correctly to have a genuine chance at contesting, which just provides more questions than answers about the intended strategy.

It was only the 11th-ranked Test side in Wales, but Jordan looked more comfortable at right-wing, and with Leroy Carter’s defensive frailties, is it time for Jordie Barrett to move to fullback purely to stop the bleeding under the high ball?

When the fullback turned midfielder was shifted to the back to accommodate the Springboks in the second Test, when they were peppering the All Blacks under the high ball, it was up there with the best Robertson’s side has looked under the high ball.

Mo’unga’s addition in 2026 could solve some issues, but the All Blacks coaching staff must find a way to transform numbers 9-15 to the innovative, world-leading, backline the public know they can be.