We're finally going to see what Scott Hansen's really capable of

Common sense is becoming contagious. Hard on the heels of a succession of sensible and proactive All Blacks appointments by New Zealand Rugby, the Crusaders have gone and done the same thing.

Rob Penney needed to go as Crusaders head coach. It was right that the franchise stood by Penney after a poor start to his tenure, then nice for him to chalk up a Super Rugby Pacific title last year.

But there was always an element of Penney minding the shop here. His window was 2009. The Crusaders decided Todd Blackadder should succeed Robbie Deans instead and Penney’s probably always harboured some resentment about that.

Well, he eventually got a turn and, whatever else you want to say about Penney as a bloke and a coach, they’ll never take his championship away from him.

He did well to save the first-season blushes and arguably should have walked the plank after the 2025 final. Penney was never going to have it so good again, and it makes sense for the Crusaders not to prolong this stopgap measure any longer. Just as it does to replace Penney with Scott Hansen.

I’ve no doubt Hansen is a good coach. Nor that he — for better or worse — essentially ran the All Blacks under Scott Robertson. But that was his issue; despite being the man coaching the team, it was Robertson’s show. Hansen was not the man in charge, and fans viewed the whole situation with suspicion.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

49 - 12

52 - 31

47 - 14

36 - 32

36 - 20

60 - 5

57 - 21

66 - 12

47 - 14

45 - 28

4

Wins

4

1

Streak

3

29

Tries Scored

36

37

Points Difference

129

2/5

First Try

4/5

1/5

First Points

4/5

3/5

Race To 10 Points

4/5

Robertson, for all his quirks, was a known quantity. Whether he was the sole architect of the Crusaders’ enormous success during his tenure, the titles went against his name. He was the head coach and, rightly or wrongly, people assumed that meant he then became the coach of the All Blacks too.

It was Robertson who fans lobbied for in the comments section of stories. It was Robertson who people told talkback hosts should be head coach. No one went into bat for Hansen, and they were frankly surprised to see him given the hands-on role they naturally felt was above his station.

Here’s Hansen’s chance. Here’s where, as Crusaders head coach from 2027, he can prove his credentials and build a relationship and trust with the rugby public. Here’s where he states the case to be the legitimate coach of the All Blacks one day.

I’ve written before about how the All Blacks are too big for one man to coach the team and deal with all the peripheral aspects of the team’s culture and brand. The All Blacks head coach is effectively a football manager, whose many responsibilities include delegating the actual coaching to others.

That’s not going to change, but while we continue to call them head coach — rather than manager or director of football or operations or whatever else you want to describe it as — folk are going to take the title literally.

Even at Super level, Hansen will only be as good as the assistants around him. Yes, he’ll have the final say, and yes he’ll establish the blueprint, but he won’t be taking the forwards off to the scrum machine or advising goal kickers on their run-ups. He’ll be the frontman, doing the public relations job, selling himself and the team, and hoping to instil confidence in fans and sponsors.

Penney was prickly, past his time and a slightly desperate appointment in the first place. Hansen is not, and I applaud the Crusaders for the way they’ve managed Penney out and the new head coach in. Often it takes a crisis for organisations to act. That hasn’t happened here. Penney can now depart with his head held relatively high, leaving Hansen to stake a future claim as All Blacks coach in name, not just practice.