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Thursday

12:00

Thursday

22:05

International

Are Jamie Joseph's All Blacks credentials truly up to scratch?

By Adam Julian

46 days ago

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND - FEBRUARY 22: Coach Jamie Joseph of the Highlanders looks on ahead of the round two Super Rugby Pacific match between Highlanders and Blues at Forsyth Barr Stadium, on February 22, 2025, in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

Scott Robertson, the most successful coach in Super Rugby history, with a staggering seven consecutive titles with the Crusaders, has been acrimoniously dumped just two years into his tenure as All Blacks coach. He might be replaced by a bloke who won just three games with the Highlanders in 2025, Jamie Joseph.

If that’s the case, it means that since 2023, four of the five original Super Rugby franchise head coaches have been and gone, coaching the All Blacks. Carnage! That turnover rivals the chaos associated with the English Premier League.

Does Super Rugby even remain an adequate breeding ground for a competitive All Blacks? Since South African teams departed in 2021, the Springboks have won 7 of their 11 Tests against the All Blacks, including the All Blacks’ heaviest ever Test defeat in Wellington in 2025.

The future of Super Rugby is not an intermediate priority; the next All Blacks coach is.

Jamie Joseph, architect of the Highlanders’ improbable 2015 Super Rugby triumph and Japan’s only Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance in 2019, appears to have the inside running. An unbeaten All Blacks XV tour in November and December enhances his case further.

Renowned for his “old school” approach, Joseph’s clarity is respected by players, and he’s fashioned a reputation for turning the unfashionable into household names. Elliot Dixon, Keita Inagaki, and Fabian Holland are just three examples.

However, Joseph’s overall record with both the Highlanders (57 wins from 115 matches) and Japan (23 wins from 51 matches) is only modest.

When Japan made the quarter-finals in 2019, Joseph enjoyed almost imperial power, controlling every aspect of his players’ schedules in the lead-up to the tournament, keeping skipper Michael Leitch in cotton wool and using the Sunwolves reserve team as a shadow national selection for live training exercises. He won’t enjoy this luxury with the All Blacks.

Furthermore, Scott Hansen, allegedly a source of discontent within the now Razor-less All Blacks, was one of Japan’s assistant coaches. What does this say about Joseph and Hansen?

After the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Japan lost 13 consecutive Tests against teams ranked inside the World’s top ten as of January 12, 2025. That trend has continued under Eddie Jones with another ten successive defeats.

Is Joseph merely a campaign coach or one capable of sustaining long-term consistency?

Did Joseph leave Japan in a better state than when he started?

Are the credentials of Josef Schmidt, Warren Gatland, Vern Cotter, Dave Rennie, Robbie Deans and Pat Lam, among others, more compelling?

Some sundry thoughts.

Who coaches the Highlanders if Joseph is promoted or the Blues if Cotter is promoted?

What character flaws does Scott Robertson need to address to avoid a repeat of the apparent fallouts with Leon MacDonald, Jason Holland and Ardie Savea?

Is it time to appoint a foreign coach, somebody removed from the close-knit circle, echo-chambered perspectives within New Zealand rugby?

Comments

28 Comments

NxxTX 44 days ago

Well I dont mind who it is or where we end up in the World Rankings, as long as they have that important ingredient, Swagger!! 🕶️🇳🇿

JW 45 days ago

This author competes with the Hammer Head for amount of question marks used.

BS 45 days ago

This article misses the point really Joseph’s results have been with unfashionable teams his success with AB,s 15s and NZ Maori show he is more than capable and he is no show pony

Talk of Gatland Schmidt Cotter or Rennie is rubbish Gatlands record with the Chiefs is terrible Cotter with the Blues lamentable

Rennie a great record with the Chiefs but since then rubbish and as for Joe his days are done.

If Joseph gets the job, Tony Brown will be on board as will Ryan and that would be a great leadership team.

But for now we wait

SC 45 days ago

Cotter won the Super Rugby championship his first season back with Blues and in his second season beat the first place finishers Chiefs in the QF in Hamilton before losing to Crusaders in Christchurch in a competitive semi-final.

So in all fairness, Cotter has done very well with the Blues.

PB 45 days ago

Bit presumptuous to assume TB will leave the Boks at a drop of a hat. You clearly don’t know the character of the man. He was asked this question by a SA journalist a while ago, and his answer was “You don’t go where you aren’t wanted mate”

But you clearly know better.

Hammer Head 46 days ago

Warren Gatland must be in the conversation.

He must be clicking his heels.

This is perfect timing for the ABs and their realistic fans. I mean all the best coaches are generally in between jobs two years out from a World Cup.

Excellent time to be shopping for a coach to take on an impossibly difficult job.

JW 45 days ago

ROG looks to be trying to get out of his at just the right time.. Maybe him and White would get on well?

Hammer Head 46 days ago

If that’s the case, it means that since 2023, four of the five original Super Rugby franchise head coaches have been and gone, coaching the All Blacks. Carnage!

TT 46 days ago

Only blind Freddy’s can't see that AGAIN it should have been Schmidt preceding Razor & now to as top, most credentialed & only choice.

And that, like Razor, he be given full control of who his coach team is.

Talk of ANY other others is just more of the same tired, unoriginal cheerleadering of club favourites as too often happens with players.

Schmidt choice number 1,2 & 3, Slam dunk.

JW 45 days ago

And only those that don’t follow day to day think that Joe has the time and inclination for a full time job. He chose a short term gig where he was allowed to work from home with his son on purpose TT.

I think NZR always planned for him to revive Australia and then return to take over Wayne Smiths role. I believe that was the most sensible idea (as was finally appointing Razor).

Agree, though, without real life being in the way Razor should have had the last cycle, and Joe promoted for this one.

Over the sideline 46 days ago

And if he doesnt want it? Cant force him into the role.

Icefarrow 46 days ago

Pat Lam? 😂

TokoRFC 46 days ago

I also think it’s odd everyone is assuming Joseph is a shoe in.

But heck if he can turn cast iron into silver, imagine what he can do with gold.

LE 45 days ago

Steve Diamond can turn Iron into Silver but no one would ever trust him with Gold

unknown 46 days ago

When considering Jamie Joseph’s coaching record you should always factor in that the Highlanders have always been the most under resourced super team in NZ. So winning a Super rugby title with them was a great achievement. The same should apply with his time in Japan taking a side regularly ranked 10- 12 in world rugby to 2019 RWC quarter final.

International experience counts at this level and with smart choices with assistant coaches anything is possible. Robertson is a good coach but was out of his depth as All Blacks supremo as we’re most of his assistants and all of his backroom staff. Bad mistake clearing house losing all that IP from the likes of Darren Shan, Gilbert Enoka etc.

TokoRFC 45 days ago

I remember an interview Shan had on GBRANZ where he talked about how he flew to france a year out from the WC to make sure the training paddocks has suitable grass for scrum training. Because you can’t tell for sure from a picture, now that is the attention to detail the pursuit of excellence requires…

I was wondering why he wasn’t still involved

GodOfFriedChicken 46 days ago

Yep, he regularly got teams to punch above their weight. There was an article a while back that pointed out that the Highlanders regularly spent way below the salary cap while all the other teams regularly spent near the top, and that’s not even factoring in that All Black money isn’t counted there. Just imagine if he got to have some more of the talent from the Otago/Southland region in the last few years, guys like George Bell, Christian Lio-Willie, Sevu Reece etc.

Icefarrow 46 days ago

That was more on Mark Robinson according to Foster. He didn’t like some of the backroom staff because they stood up to him. Enoka being the prime example. Apparently he wanted to use the players for corporate events, meet and greets etc but Gilbert wouldn’t allow it.

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