Scott Robertson, the All Blacks coach, is skating on thin ice after a particularly lackluster season that included the team's worst loss ever. Despite the shaky ground, NZ Rugby has decided to keep Robertson at the helm for the time being following a thorough review of the team's mediocre 2025 performance. However, they haven't committed to him leading the squad into the 2027 World Cup, and a failure to turn things around next year could see the entire coaching staff getting the boot.
The drama intensified when it was revealed earlier this month that Scott Hansen, an assistant coach, had been acting more like the head coach, relegating Robertson to a more distant, directorial role. This bombshell, dropped during their tour in Cardiff and reported by the New Zealand Herald, left fans and pundits alike reeling from the apparent disarray within the team's leadership.
"None of us wanted Scott Hansen to be the coach of the All Blacks,"
blasted Martin Devlin, a prominent New Zealand radio host, on DSPN. Devlin's disbelief didn't stop there as he tore into the coaching setup, particularly targeting Hansen. "You haven’t earned the right to be All Blacks coach yet. You haven’t even coached the Crusaders. Robertson was meant to be doing that job. Last week he says the assistants are learning on the job – now he says the assistant is basically the coach. If he really means that, we’ve got serious problems."
The Herald also noted that during his interviews for the All Blacks job, Robertson had described himself as a "cultural coach," suggesting he would focus on team environment while delegating actual coaching duties to his Crusaders staff. This strategy, while wildly successful at the Crusaders where Robertson led the team to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles, has yet to prove effective on the international stage. With the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, the pressure is mounting for a significant turnaround in the All Blacks' fortunes.
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Scott Robertson, the All Blacks coach, is skating on thin ice after a particularly lackluster season that included the team's worst loss ever. Despite the shaky ground, NZ Rugby has decided to keep Robertson at the helm for the time being following a thorough review of the team's mediocre 2025 performance. However, they haven't committed to him leading the squad into the 2027 World Cup, and a failure to turn things around next year could see the entire coaching staff getting the boot.
The drama intensified when it was revealed earlier this month that Scott Hansen, an assistant coach, had been acting more like the head coach, relegating Robertson to a more distant, directorial role. This bombshell, dropped during their tour in Cardiff and reported by the New Zealand Herald, left fans and pundits alike reeling from the apparent disarray within the team's leadership.
"None of us wanted Scott Hansen to be the coach of the All Blacks,"
blasted Martin Devlin, a prominent New Zealand radio host, on DSPN. Devlin's disbelief didn't stop there as he tore into the coaching setup, particularly targeting Hansen. "You haven’t earned the right to be All Blacks coach yet. You haven’t even coached the Crusaders. Robertson was meant to be doing that job. Last week he says the assistants are learning on the job – now he says the assistant is basically the coach. If he really means that, we’ve got serious problems."
The Herald also noted that during his interviews for the All Blacks job, Robertson had described himself as a "cultural coach," suggesting he would focus on team environment while delegating actual coaching duties to his Crusaders staff. This strategy, while wildly successful at the Crusaders where Robertson led the team to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles, has yet to prove effective on the international stage. With the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, the pressure is mounting for a significant turnaround in the All Blacks' fortunes.