Analysis: The new All Blacks head coach has started how he means to go on: by giving insights into a previously closed shop, writes Patrick McKendry.
“What’s your greatest asset?” All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson asks his 22 players at the start of his squad’s two-day camp in Auckland this week.
“Your body,” is the reply.
“Yeah, it’s your body, eh,” Robertson agrees.
“Let’s start by owning it with our language and our body language… enjoy this afternoon because it’s what we do. Do what you need to do today.”
Robertson adds: “I’m here to get the best out of you. You’re extremely talented but we’re humans. People will need help, but own that.”
The above is taken from a short clip posted by the All Blacks to their social media channels and while it’s not particularly earth-shattering in terms of insight, it represents a breakthrough in terms of openness from an All Blacks head coach.
Very rarely have we seen an All Blacks coach address his squad in a meeting (and definitely not on Day 1 of his tenure) and it’s difficult to remember one touching on vulnerability in that address.
It is one of the reasons why Robertson was selected for the top job.
Last year, New Zealand Rugby launched NZR+, a (currently free) streaming service backed, according to the New Zealand Herald, by a budget of $10 million with the intention of winning five million subscribers.
NZR+, which features match highlights, interviews and “lifestyle content”, is one of the planks with which NZ Rugby, and by extension Silver Lake, hope to leverage more cash from the All Blacks brand. It’s clear that in time they intend to charge subscriptions.
There is a feeling within NZ Rugby that Robertson’s willingness to open a small window into the All Blacks environment will help this goal but the former Crusaders coach will almost certainly want to do so for what could be described as more holistic reasons as well.
He likely believes that to engage the New Zealand public and All Blacks supporters around the world in the social media age the All Blacks need to give a little more of themselves; that likes off the field are almost as important as lineouts on it.
It is a refreshing attitude after the relatively closed shop of the Ian Foster era when the media, even those covering the team abroad, were kept very much at arm’s length (and perhaps more so than ever before), but it will require a balancing act for several reasons.
There may be concern within the squad and those closely connected to it that key All Blacks’ intellectual property and rituals are given away.
Robertson will be aware of this and will likely have a strategy to closely control the release of information.
Other aspects to consider are how much commercial pressure the charismatic Robertson comes under from NZ Rugby in terms of opening up access and indeed how much he wants to be seen as the All Blacks’ all-domineering figurehead.
His quieter predecessor Foster appeared far happier for his players to make the headlines but before him Sir Steve Hansen was a skilful manipulator of the media in terms of putting subtle pressure on opposition teams and coaches and, euphemistically speaking, drawing the attention of the match officials to certain issues.
He did that via his force of personality and Robertson has the potential to do something similar in a different way.
The greatest example of this is South Africa’s Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks head coach in all but name during their run to their World Cup victory last year.
The controversial Erasmus, out there in more ways than one, often used himself as a shield to take the media attention off his players.
Robertson may occasionally aim for something similar, presumably in the knowledge that some may not want to be overshadowed.
It will take tact, timing and emotional intelligence, qualities Robertson appears to have in abundance.
They could even be described as his greatest assets.
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