Eddie Jones, the former Wallabies and England coach, is stirring the pot with some hard-hitting questions regarding the murky circumstances surrounding Scott Robertson's exit as the All Blacks head coach. David Kirk, chair of New Zealand Rugby, has pointed to an unsatisfactory trajectory of the team under Robertson's guidance, despite the lack of clear reasons for his dismissal surfacing publicly. Furthermore, rumors of player discontent have emerged following an internal review of the All Blacks' lackluster 2025 season, though Kirk has refuted any claims of a player revolt.
Jones, always one to delve deeper into the dynamics of rugby politics and team management, expressed his concerns on the Rugby Unity podcast.
"The implication is that the senior players didn’t trust the coaching team… based on? What didn’t they trust them on?"
Jones questioned, highlighting the absence of transparency from New Zealand Rugby's top brass.
He speculated on the potential issues that could have led to distrust, ranging from player selection, captaincy decisions, to the team's playing style and training methods. Jones shared his own brush with controversy, recalling a time when a single comment during a season review spiraled into doubts about his coaching standards. "I once had a season review, I made one comment to a player that he didn’t like, which can sometimes happen, and that then became the contention of, ‘right, is he coaching up to standard?’" he revealed.
Jones also commented on the recent changes within New Zealand Rugby itself, following the departure of former chief executive Mark Robinson and David Kirk stepping in. He suggested that the dynamics between the public-facing chairman and the behind-the-scenes CEO could have influenced these shifts.
"He’s quite entitled to do that if he wants to. David Kirk, as we know, has got a track record of huge success in business. Obviously a fantastic rugby player himself, been involved in administration of rugby, so there’s probably no better person to read New Zealand rugby now."
The seasoned coach warned against overreliance on end-of-season reviews and anonymous player surveys, recalling his early coaching days with the Brumbies. "Every team, now generally speaking, does an anonymous team survey at the end of the season. Any disgruntled player now, they can take it into that survey," Jones explained. He emphasized the importance of interpreting these surveys with caution, as they can sometimes reflect transient player frustrations rather than systemic issues.
Jones' insights and questions add another layer to the ongoing discussion about the challenges and internal dynamics within elite sports teams, particularly in the high-stakes environment of New Zealand Rugby.
2,193 posts
Eddie Jones, the former Wallabies and England coach, is stirring the pot with some hard-hitting questions regarding the murky circumstances surrounding Scott Robertson's exit as the All Blacks head coach. David Kirk, chair of New Zealand Rugby, has pointed to an unsatisfactory trajectory of the team under Robertson's guidance, despite the lack of clear reasons for his dismissal surfacing publicly. Furthermore, rumors of player discontent have emerged following an internal review of the All Blacks' lackluster 2025 season, though Kirk has refuted any claims of a player revolt.
Jones, always one to delve deeper into the dynamics of rugby politics and team management, expressed his concerns on the Rugby Unity podcast.
"The implication is that the senior players didn’t trust the coaching team… based on? What didn’t they trust them on?"
Jones questioned, highlighting the absence of transparency from New Zealand Rugby's top brass.He speculated on the potential issues that could have led to distrust, ranging from player selection, captaincy decisions, to the team's playing style and training methods. Jones shared his own brush with controversy, recalling a time when a single comment during a season review spiraled into doubts about his coaching standards. "I once had a season review, I made one comment to a player that he didn’t like, which can sometimes happen, and that then became the contention of, ‘right, is he coaching up to standard?’" he revealed.
Jones also commented on the recent changes within New Zealand Rugby itself, following the departure of former chief executive Mark Robinson and David Kirk stepping in. He suggested that the dynamics between the public-facing chairman and the behind-the-scenes CEO could have influenced these shifts.
"He’s quite entitled to do that if he wants to. David Kirk, as we know, has got a track record of huge success in business. Obviously a fantastic rugby player himself, been involved in administration of rugby, so there’s probably no better person to read New Zealand rugby now."
The seasoned coach warned against overreliance on end-of-season reviews and anonymous player surveys, recalling his early coaching days with the Brumbies. "Every team, now generally speaking, does an anonymous team survey at the end of the season. Any disgruntled player now, they can take it into that survey," Jones explained. He emphasized the importance of interpreting these surveys with caution, as they can sometimes reflect transient player frustrations rather than systemic issues.
Jones' insights and questions add another layer to the ongoing discussion about the challenges and internal dynamics within elite sports teams, particularly in the high-stakes environment of New Zealand Rugby.