Will Jordan opens up on how All Blacks have changed under Scott Robertson

When New Zealand Rugby confirmed in March 2023 that Scott Robertson would succeed Ian Foster as the All Blacks’ head coach, most fans welcomed the news. Supporters had been calling for that appointment, so it was welcomed with open arms by many.

Success just seems to follow ‘Razor’ everywhere the rugby guru goes. Robertson won NPC titles with Canterbury in 2014 and 2015, tasted World Rugby U20 Championship glory with New Zealand Under-20s, and of course, won seven Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders.

Robertson is a winner and there’s absolutely no doubt about that fact. Fans wanted the experienced coach to make the step up to the All Blacks for years, but the desire for this change grew as the national team began to struggle on the world stage.

Will Jordan talks Springboks loss, tortoises and Scott Robertson | The Rugby Championship

Will Jordan talks Springboks loss, tortoises and Scott Robertson | The Rugby Championship

With Foster at the helm, alarm bells started to ring as the All Blacks came off second best against the Springboks, Ireland and France. But, NZR stuck with ‘Fossie’ through to the Rugby World Cup which so nearly ended in a shock triumph.

Now that Foster has left the All Blacks, fans may look back at what he was able to achieve a bit more favourably. Test rugby is tough, and the All Blacks certainly felt the full brunt of that during the last World Cup cycle, but change awaited the team.

Robertson came in and led the All Blacks to back-to-back wins over England in July, followed by a big win over Fiji. But, in The Rugby Championship, the men in black suffered a shock 38-30 loss to Argentina in Wellington before losing both Tests away to the Springboks.

Before the second Test between the All Blacks and Springboks, Will Jordan sat down to talk about a variety of topics. As part of the eight-minute discussion, Jordan opened up on how Foster and Robertson differ as coaches.

“I guess for me, I’ve spent a lot of time with Razor at Super Rugby so I’m kind of used to the way he likes to do things, the way he structures his week, the game plan,” Jordan told RugbyPass last month. “Obviously, Scott Hansen I’ve spent a lot of time with as well.

“I think for me, I’ve found things pretty similar but you do have to acknowledge for the other guys that it is a bit different.

“A lot of the stuff’s the same. There’s a few key adjustments in there so it’s just about being really connected on the same page. You do make a few tweaks throughout the week so making sure you sit down in the hotel, have those real conversations and make sure we’re aligned.

“We’re excited about the way Razor’s wanting us to play the game and it’s important that we go out there and implement it now. We’ve been together five or six weeks so time to start performing well.”

Jordan was part of the Crusaders’ dynasty under Robertson. The Crusaders were nigh on impossible to beat during various stages of that seven-year stint, which saw them claim titles before, during and after the Covid pandemic.

Having worked closely with the 50-year-old coach in the past, Jordan has noticed some differences in the way Robertson had approached the international job. But, as the outside back briefly explained, that comes with the territory of the All Blacks’ environment.

“He’s pretty similar,” Jordan said with a chuckle. “It’s obviously a bit of a step up. He’s played Test rugby so he knows what it’s all about. Certainly, there’s been a bit more of an edge to him as you would expect

“But no, Razor himself, he knows how important enjoyment is and people being able to be themselves is important to him.

“Huge around connection, huge around trust each other.

“I think pretty similar to what he’s been doing in the past.”