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Ronan O'Gara tips Scott Robertson for higher honours and hints at future
Crusaders assistant coach Ronan O’Gara has made his pick for Steve Hansen’s successor after the latter announced he would be stepping away from his role after next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Robertson, off-contract with the Crusaders at the end of next year, last month told The New Zealand Herald he was interested in the top job, and again reiterated that to Stuff after Hansen’s announcement on Friday.
“Of course, yeah. I think it will definitely happen, there’s no doubt it,” O’Gara told Stuff in regards to Robertson’s All Black prospects.
“He’s made of the right stuff, Razor. He’s got great energy, charisma, ideas. He’s a leader of men. Yeah, it will happen.”
Should Robertson join the All Blacks or head elsewhere once his contract with the Crusaders ends, O’Gara would be interesting in assuming the top job in Christchurch.
“Of course I would, yeah,” O’Gara said. “But it’s all ifs and buts. I don’t deal in ifs and buts.”
“I know what I’m doing for this campaign and that’s all that bothers and interests me. I’m happy doing what I’m doing. It’s ifs and buts for Razor. But he was the guy that gave me the break here. Who knows, I could go where ever he goes next.”
All four Crusaders coaches are off-contract after the upcoming season, with assistant coach Brad Mooar set to join Scarlets in 2020.
Despite Robertson’s relative infancy in the coaching realm, O’Gara feels he would be ready to step up to the head role with the All Blacks.
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Steve Hansen also touched on the importance of experience when New Zealand Rugby begin their search for a new head coach, and felt that it wasn’t as necessary as some would be led to believe.
“I think that’s probably misguided,” O’Gara said in regards to Robertson’s readiness to coach the All Blacks. “I think he’s good at rugby, very good at rugby. With the level of detail required now days to succeed in the coaching world, you need to be on top of a lot of areas and he is on top of a lot of areas.”
“He’s working with very capable players, no doubt about it. But at the same time, someone has to stratergise everything, and organise and run the show, and he does that well.
“It’s a pleasure working with him. He gets the best out of his players, he gets the best out of us as a coaching group, he gets the best out of me. I enjoy going into Rugby Park every day to see him.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments