In a revealing discussion on the What a Lad podcast, former All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland shared his experiences and the emotional challenges he faced during his tenure with the national team. Holland, who served under then-head coach Scott Robertson in 2024 and 2025, discussed his decision to step away from the All Blacks and his reaction to Robertson's subsequent dismissal.
Holland's journey with the All Blacks was marked by the high demands of international coaching, a transition he initially found challenging after his successful stint as head coach at the Hurricanes. "What an opportunity. It was awesome. The All Blacks. So, my roles were in the strike stuff, pretty much. Initially with Rang (Leon MacDonald) and then with Scotty (Hansen)," Holland reflected.
"I don’t feel I coached as well as I could in that first six months."
The pressures of adapting to a new role while maintaining personal well-being were significant. Holland admitted, "It’s easy to go into a hotel room on a Thursday night and do that for five or six months on tour." However, he highlighted the importance of finding balance, "And what we got good at for the second year in there is that we got better at switching off. Myself and Scotty and Tams (Tamati Ellison) especially when we’d make sure we got out, we had a bit of fun and we just relaxed for a little bit."
The decision to leave the All Blacks was not one Holland took lightly. Describing it as "really tough," he emphasized the need to recognize when a change was necessary for personal growth. "I think it’s probably more the way I approach things that I thought someone else is better off in this environment to make sure that I get myself in the space where I knew I could coach well. So, it was a big call."
Shortly after Holland's departure, Robertson was unexpectedly fired, a decision that Holland found surprising and disheartening. "I didn’t know. And even up until a couple of days before it happened, I didn’t think that that would be what would happen," he said. The impact of such changes extends beyond the coaches to their families, adding another layer of complexity to the challenges faced in high-level sports careers.
Reflecting on these experiences, Holland appreciates the lessons learned during his time with the All Blacks, which he now applies in his role back at the Hurricanes. This ongoing journey underscores the resilience and adaptability required in the dynamic world of rugby coaching.
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In a revealing discussion on the What a Lad podcast, former All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland shared his experiences and the emotional challenges he faced during his tenure with the national team. Holland, who served under then-head coach Scott Robertson in 2024 and 2025, discussed his decision to step away from the All Blacks and his reaction to Robertson's subsequent dismissal.
Holland's journey with the All Blacks was marked by the high demands of international coaching, a transition he initially found challenging after his successful stint as head coach at the Hurricanes. "What an opportunity. It was awesome. The All Blacks. So, my roles were in the strike stuff, pretty much. Initially with Rang (Leon MacDonald) and then with Scotty (Hansen)," Holland reflected.
"I don’t feel I coached as well as I could in that first six months."
The pressures of adapting to a new role while maintaining personal well-being were significant. Holland admitted, "It’s easy to go into a hotel room on a Thursday night and do that for five or six months on tour." However, he highlighted the importance of finding balance, "And what we got good at for the second year in there is that we got better at switching off. Myself and Scotty and Tams (Tamati Ellison) especially when we’d make sure we got out, we had a bit of fun and we just relaxed for a little bit."
The decision to leave the All Blacks was not one Holland took lightly. Describing it as "really tough," he emphasized the need to recognize when a change was necessary for personal growth. "I think it’s probably more the way I approach things that I thought someone else is better off in this environment to make sure that I get myself in the space where I knew I could coach well. So, it was a big call."
Shortly after Holland's departure, Robertson was unexpectedly fired, a decision that Holland found surprising and disheartening. "I didn’t know. And even up until a couple of days before it happened, I didn’t think that that would be what would happen," he said. The impact of such changes extends beyond the coaches to their families, adding another layer of complexity to the challenges faced in high-level sports careers.
Reflecting on these experiences, Holland appreciates the lessons learned during his time with the All Blacks, which he now applies in his role back at the Hurricanes. This ongoing journey underscores the resilience and adaptability required in the dynamic world of rugby coaching.