Scott Robertson relives his near misses with the All Blacks' top job
The third time’s a charm for Scott Robertson, who assumed the reigns as All Blacks head coach at the start of November after narrowly missing out twice to predecessor Ian Foster.
On each occasion, Robertson was swimming upstream, attempting to disrupt what had become the traditional All Blacks succession planning, which had seen an assistant promoted to head coach with any vacancy in recent decades.
But as time passed, Robertson’s claim for the title became harder to ignore. Seven Super Rugby championships in as many years proved the former All Black was in a class of his own, ready to take the mantle and run with it.
Reflecting on the journey, Razor has shed light on how some of the decisions played out.
“In 2019, the continuity thing was quite important to them (New Zealand Rugby),” he told 1News.
“I was fresh, I was young, I had all these different ideas. There was probably a little bit of fear in it really. So I thought ok, I’ve just got to keep winning. Just stay in the fight.”
A task easier said than done, but one that only Robertson would be capable of. With his trophy cabinet gaining another three cups since 2019 and Ian Foster in rocky terrain, 2022 saw Razor get a second sniff at a promotion.
The All Blacks had lost their first-ever series on home soil to Ireland, they then lost to South Africa and fans were yet to recover from further losses to Ireland and France on the 2021 Northern Tour. A second fixture against the Springboks loomed as the decisive result and the fate of Robertson, Foster, the Crusaders and All Blacks rested on a knife’s edge.
“I was contacted, ‘Are you interested?’ I said ‘Yes, I’m still ready. I’ll have a crack at it whenever you want me to.’
“I got a phone call half an hour before the press conference that they had decided to stay with the status quo.
“I went to Maloolaba, and at the airport in Brisbane, I was getting my bags and a guy came up to me and goes ‘Mate, I feel for you, you should’ve got the job’. The first person I saw was just a straight reminder!” Robertson laughed.
Having been denied twice, rumours swirled about Razor’s future. England let go of Eddie Jones, Wales let go of Wayne Pivac and Fiji had a vacancy after Vern Cotter stepped down. Robertson’s name was floated in every circle and as he would later confirm, the coach “had a few options.”
But his dream job was worth waiting for.
“I’m a natural optimist. Yesterday’s a heavy backpack, you want to cut it off, get rid of it and move forward.”
That optimism would be tested one more time though, as a reshuffle in Foster’s coaching ranks saw Robertson’s right hand man recruited to the national set up.
Jason Ryan’s success with the Crusaders was recognised and he was employed to lead the All Blacks forwards’ charge at the Rugby World Cup. It was inevitably an emotional time for Razor, seeing his partner in crime move on while dealing with his own near miss. He quickly switched his mentality though.
“Tough, it was real tough when I got the call from Jase (Ryan). In the back of your mind, you think ‘who would you take?’ Of course, you’d take him.
“My real job, from Canterbury to the Crusaders and New Zealand U20s is to create All Blacks, select All Blacks, same with your staff. Selecting on the field but also off the field. The best thing for the country was Jason. The way we did it I think was really mature and really professional, and personal.
“What he did and how he prepared his team, it’s priceless. Priceless.”
In the end though, it was only a matter of time before Robertson’s loyalty and continued success was rewarded, and after some hints and premature remarks, the top job was his. As he now says: “It worked out. Third time lucky.”
The appointment wasn’t without controversy, as New Zealand Rugby ditched their standard practice of waiting to appoint the next World Cup cycle’s coach until after the campaign at hand. Ian Foster voiced his disapproval of the decision’s timing, labeling it a potential distraction for the team at a crucial time.
Foster was subject to severe public criticism throughout his head coaching tenure, and having his fate sealed before his time was up denied the coach a chance to go out on his own terms. Robertson says he empathises with his predecessor, but knows how this game works.
“Of course you do (empathise), we’re humans and stuff but it’s a professional game and you understand that you’re a public figure. People are going to pass judgment. Expectations and results are what people are going to look at. There’s always a percentage beside your name isn’t there?”
And so, the future is here, Razor will helm the All Blacks’ voyage into the next era and he’s got a clear message for anyone who wants to join him on that journey.
“An All Black player under me has to love the pressure, have the ability to walk towards that and they’re an effort-based player. So, your talent’s got you here but on and off the field, you have to keep earning it, earning it and earning it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Just what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
7 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
7 Go to commentsGood riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
6 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
6 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
6 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
7 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
7 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
7 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
7 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to comments