Scott Robertson admits the All Blacks have failed to win “key moments” in his first season in charge, but believes the three-time world champions are “getting better” and on the right track.
After Ian Foster’s eventful four-year reign ended with last year’s World Cup final, there were high expectations that Robertson’s magical touch in Super Rugby would translate to the international stage with the All Blacks.
Despite two nervy first wins, the All Blacks failed to immediately end Robertson’s honeymoon, losing three of their opening four Rugby Championship matches, including back-to-back defeats in South Africa. It also saw Leon MacDonald suddenly leave the All Blacks during The Rugby Championship, with Robertson saying the pair “didn’t click”.
The All Blacks responded by retaining the Bledisloe Cup, but a painful one-point loss to Les Bleus at the Stade de France and an unconvincing 18-point win over Italy in Turin left Robertson completely unbeatable. During the Christmas period his hair hung down.
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson posted a 10-4 win-loss record in his first season in charge. (Photo credit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Indeed, last week’s loss meant Robertson’s record after 14 Tests was the worst of the last five All Blacks coaches.
His 10-4 win-loss record finished his first season with a 71% success rate, behind John Mitchell and Foster (78%) and Steve Hansen and Graham Henry (85%).
Former All Blacks winger Geoff Wilson said: “It shows he’s either there or he’s there. He’s not far away.”
Former All Blacks back-rower Steven Bates will now play six Tests against teams in the top five of the World Rugby rankings after Robertson’s side lost two Tests against the Springboks in New Zealand and one against Argentina. He said that the actual number is that only two of them won.
“When you look at these statistics, it looks like we’re 6-2 against top-five teams. Those are the actual statistics,” Bates said. “This is how the All Blacks are judged.
“That being said, the landscape has changed a bit. Steve Hansen, Graham Henry, that was a long time ago. Do we acknowledge that the landscape of world rugby has changed or do we say ‘no, no, no’. We are the All Blacks. Are we expected to always win and win everything?
Recently, All Blacks member Angus Ta’avao said it was important to note that the previous two All Blacks coaches had already established themselves in the national team and that Robertson needed to fully regenerate them following Foster’s departure, mentioning several high-profile names including Dane Coles . Sam Whitelock and Aaron Smith.
“When you look at those coaches, it’s one of those changes in coaching,” Ta’avao said. “My argument goes beyond that. It’s the assistants, the back staff, the mentality, and the work on the wall.
“To grow you have to change.
“Graham Henry, Steve Hansen under him, Ian Foster under him: they all succeeded with each other. This is refreshing. “I never expected roses to bloom right away, and I thought there would be some growing pains, but I’m encouraged by the growth we’ve seen this year.”
Damian McKenzie spent most of the year at flyhalf but finished the campaign on the bench. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Robertson said “everything” surprised him about his first season in charge of the All Blacks, despite taking on the role of former player and mentor to the seven-time Super Rugby winner.
He said, “There are always expectations.
“The great thing about our game is that everyone has an opinion. So they should. It’s a national team, so you have to respect that and make the right decisions.
“I was myself. We prepared the boys as best we could to be brave on the field.”
Asked to sum up his year, Robertson said he failed to deliver at “big moments”.
“We’ve had three matches where it was a one-run moment, a big moment in a Test match that could have gone the other way,” he said.
“Look, I’m so proud of the mindset and growth of the group. We’ve got a lot to gain, we’ve had an unbelievable performance, but Test football is about those big moments, making the right decisions and finding your way, and we haven’t got that yet.
“We have a tight-knit group on and off the field and (with some gestures) we are that far apart. I’m learning, we’re learning, and we’re getting better.”
His skipper, Scott Barrett, agreed. “We have improved as the season has gone on and I am happy with the way this team is going.”
Robertson has come under scrutiny for not introducing enough new faces early in the Test campaign, including in Torino, where the former back-rower has fielded a strong team despite facing the world number 10.
“That’s why we named the team,” Robertson said. “If it’s on, it’s on. They are physical and have double shoulders on us. “My mindset was a little off, so it stinks and it’s difficult, but I found a way.”
Wallace Sititi has been the All Blacks’ discovery of the year. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The outgoing All Blacks TJ Perenara and Sam Kane were selected as regulars, Rieko Ioane, the team’s best player in Italy, showed a poor performance, and Billy Proctor, who was sensational in his debut match against Fiji in the United States, was a regular in the stands.
But Robertson, who has given debuts to 10 players in 2024 (the most since 2018), said it was important not to shed experienced players so quickly after so many players left following last year’s World Cup heartbreak.
“We’re well-balanced,” said Robertson, who discovered World Rugby Rookie of the Year Wallace Sititi and saw real progress from a quintet that includes Tupou Vaa’i.
“People say, ‘Why didn’t you play younger players?’ There is pressure in every test and being in the environment really helps set it up.
“Wallace, you could see him too. He was training and feeling and mentally and physically prepared. He went and performed and we kept him there.
“You don’t just kick someone out, you have to allow them to gain experience. Having people like that come in and perform is something we’re very proud of.”
The All Blacks play France in their next international match in July next year.
