Crusaders coach Scott Robertson opens up on losing Tony Brown's support for top All Blacks role
By Patrick McKendry, NZ Herald
Scott Robertson has spoken of his disappointment at hearing Tony Brown had decided to support Jamie Joseph in his push to be the next All Blacks coach, but conceded: “I appreciate it was a tough call for him to make to me.”
Crusaders coach Robertson had hoped to team up with Japan assistant coach Brown, whose stock rose significantly during the recent Rugby World Cup along with that of hosts Japan after their groundbreaking victories over Ireland and Scotland and meritorious performance in their quarter-final defeat to eventual champions South Africa.
The pair would have made a compelling partnership but instead Brown, who is returning to New Zealand to help Aaron Mauger with the Highlanders, has thrown his lot in with Joseph, the current head coach of Japan who also has All Black ambitions.
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“Tony made his call,” Robertson said today. “It was a tough phone call to make. We had planned for a while to work together. He showed his hand to work with Jamie – and his loyalty. I appreciate it was a tough call for him to make to me.”
Robertson, who spoke to the media at the official announcement of the New Zealand Super Rugby squads, will relinquish his role as Crusaders head coach should his All Black interview in early December go well and the recommendation of panelists Sir Graham Henry, Mark Robinson, Brent Impey, Mike Anthony and Waimarama Taumaunu is signed off by the New Zealand Rugby board.
But now the man known as Razor is in the process of finding another running mate to replace Brown, and he added: “That’s part of the game. You have conversations with people and you work out the best options for yourself and what is going to be best for the team. They are private conversations as you can imagine.”
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Robertson, prepared for questions on his goal of replacing Steve Hansen but perhaps not expecting such an interrogation a month or so before his official interview, was asked whether his background of success with the Crusaders – three consecutive titles – and before that Canterbury, represented a good foundation for the role of All Blacks head coach.
He replied: “Do you have to lose to learn to be a better person and better coach? That’s for them [panel] to decide.
“I’ve got my formula and I’ve worked really hard coaching schoolboy rugby through to club rugby and to Super Rugby. All the learnings along the way can help me in my quest to be All Black coach. It’s up to them whether they feel that experience is enough. I think it was shown in the most recent tournament; the right person for the job is the key ingredient.”
He also confirmed he had spoken to several mentors about the process, including Robbie Deans, a former Crusaders and Wallabies coach.
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“I’m an extremely optimistic person,” Robertson said. “It’s in my nature to see a lot of opportunities in things. I need to have people to add a bit of realism. Without naming too many names, there are a lot of ex-Crusaders coaches who have influenced me. I’ve talked to them and have got pretty deep – you need to, it’s a big process coming up and they’ve needed to challenge me and my thoughts and processes coming into it.”
He said he and his family were ready for the step up in intensity and profile. “I’m really mindful of the status that it holds. It’s one of the biggest jobs in the country, as we know. My wife Jane is in, we’re all in. I’ve got three young sons who really understand – well, I’m not sure the youngest one understands but if we’re all happy at home he’s happy.
“It’s a real passion of mine, I love what I do and the opportunity doesn’t come around very often.”
He has support if not sympathy from Blues rival Leon MacDonald, who worked under Robertson at the Crusaders in 2017 before shifting north. MacDonald, preparing for his second season with the Blues, said: “I know that my brain is working overtime on one job, so to have two in mind will be a challenge, but he’s the sort of guy who can cope and do both well.”
In other news:
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments