Former All Blacks standout Israel Dagg has thrown his two cents into the swirling rumors of discord among Scott Robertson’s coaching lieutenants, pinpointing Scott Hansen as possibly stirring the pot behind the scenes. This speculation comes on the heels of Jason Holland’s recent departure, closely following Leon MacDonald’s exit last season.
Dagg, airing his views on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy Show, didn't shy away from voicing the whispers he’s heard.
“There’s one message here talking about some rumors that Scott Hansen is the problem with Holland and Leon MacDonald,”
Dagg remarked. He continued, suggesting that Holland had initially planned to leave earlier but was persuaded to stay a bit longer.
While Dagg was cautious not to fully endorse these rumors, he did shed some light on Hansen’s intense coaching demeanor.
“I’ve never been coached by Scotty Hansen, I can’t speak from experience, but he’s very intense, very passionate, has a lot of care but is hard on people and wants to get the very best out of people – he’s demanding,”
Dagg shared.
Following MacDonald’s departure, Hansen not only continued his role as the defence coach but also took on additional responsibilities for the attack. This shake-up in roles might lead him to fill in more of Holland’s shoes, depending on the strategic decisions made by Robertson and New Zealand Rugby for the upcoming 2026 season.
The upcoming season poses a significant crossroads for Robertson in configuring his coaching crew. Dagg speculated on future adjustments, pondering, “Next year, what is the key here? There’s a lot of confusion out there, there are so many voices, so would the best thing going forward be to take away that extra voice, allow Scotty Hansen to take a bit more of a role … and Tamati Ellison looks after the defence?” He also threw another possibility into the mix, “Or do we go over and get a Ronan O’Gara? I’m sitting here thinking, who is the next best coach that can come in and take that role?”
This coaching carousel doesn’t just affect those directly involved; it has ripples throughout the rugby world, keeping fans and pundits alike on their toes as they await the next move in this high-stakes game of coaching chess.
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Former All Blacks standout Israel Dagg has thrown his two cents into the swirling rumors of discord among Scott Robertson’s coaching lieutenants, pinpointing Scott Hansen as possibly stirring the pot behind the scenes. This speculation comes on the heels of Jason Holland’s recent departure, closely following Leon MacDonald’s exit last season.
Dagg, airing his views on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy Show, didn't shy away from voicing the whispers he’s heard.
“There’s one message here talking about some rumors that Scott Hansen is the problem with Holland and Leon MacDonald,”
Dagg remarked. He continued, suggesting that Holland had initially planned to leave earlier but was persuaded to stay a bit longer.While Dagg was cautious not to fully endorse these rumors, he did shed some light on Hansen’s intense coaching demeanor.
“I’ve never been coached by Scotty Hansen, I can’t speak from experience, but he’s very intense, very passionate, has a lot of care but is hard on people and wants to get the very best out of people – he’s demanding,”
Dagg shared.Following MacDonald’s departure, Hansen not only continued his role as the defence coach but also took on additional responsibilities for the attack. This shake-up in roles might lead him to fill in more of Holland’s shoes, depending on the strategic decisions made by Robertson and New Zealand Rugby for the upcoming 2026 season.
The upcoming season poses a significant crossroads for Robertson in configuring his coaching crew. Dagg speculated on future adjustments, pondering, “Next year, what is the key here? There’s a lot of confusion out there, there are so many voices, so would the best thing going forward be to take away that extra voice, allow Scotty Hansen to take a bit more of a role … and Tamati Ellison looks after the defence?” He also threw another possibility into the mix, “Or do we go over and get a Ronan O’Gara? I’m sitting here thinking, who is the next best coach that can come in and take that role?”
This coaching carousel doesn’t just affect those directly involved; it has ripples throughout the rugby world, keeping fans and pundits alike on their toes as they await the next move in this high-stakes game of coaching chess.