All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson insists he retains full faith in his coaching group following another collapse in his team’s defeat to England – their third loss of the year.
England’s deserved 33-19 victory at Twickenham, featuring a run of 25 unanswered points, sank the visitors’ hopes of a Grand Slam and exposed further evidence of New Zealand’s vulnerabilities.
Inevitably, the coaching group will be looked at in the wake of this latest loss, carrying with it a sense of inescapable fate once England hit back after conceding early tries to Leicester Fainga’anuku and Codie Taylor.
A week earlier at Murrayfield, the All Blacks conceded 17 straight points before getting out of jail via Damian McKenzie.
They also conceded 20 unanswered points in a defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires and 36 to the Springboks in one half in a record defeat in Wellington.
Appearing online before members of the New Zealand media this morning as his side begin preparations for their final Test of the year against Wales in Cardiff, Robertson defended his assistants Scott Hansen, Jason Ryan and Jason Holland.
Holland signalled before the tour that he would not renew his contract. Robertson is contracted until the end of 2027 but his assistants are on two-year terms.
Asked whether he backs his coaching group, Robertson said: “Of course I do.
“We’ve got a group with an incredible work ethic. We’ve been experienced enough to understand what Test footy is all about.”
“We spend a lot of time to ensure the players get enough into them that is required for Test level. We’ll look at it again for sure.”
He could not – or would not – say whether Holland, the former Hurricanes head coach in charge of the All Blacks’ attack, will be replaced. There will be questions about the desirability of the role after Holland’s decision, on top of former assistant Leon MacDonald’s shock resignation during last year’s Rugby Championship.
MacDonald, citing a difference of opinion on coaching philosophies with Robertson, was not replaced.
As is customary, the All Blacks’ management will hold a review into their season at the end of the year, featuring experts from outside the group.
In defensive mode this morning, Robertson, who now has a seven-loss, 19-win record (73%), was asked whether the team had become "better, worse or stagnated" under his leadership.
“It’s a pretty leading question,” Robertson said. “We haven’t executed enough. We’ve created so many opportunities… it wasn’t through a lack of effort.
“All our stats that we keep – the boys’ efforts are so high. That’s what we’re really proud of as a group. We’ve just got to finish more.”
He added: “The inability to execute – that’s the part that really stings you.”
The All Blacks’ frailties when put under pressure may stem from an inexperienced core and a leadership group that is not delivering.
Of the starters in London, loose forwards Simon Parker and Peter Lakai, centre Billy Proctor, right wing Leroy Carter and left wing Fainga’anuku had played 10 or fewer Tests. Parker and Carter are in their first year at this level.
The same applies to lock Fabian Holland (11 Tests), who withdrew late due to illness. Holland was replaced in the starting line-up by Josh Lord, who has now played 11, with Sam Darry (now eight Tests) brought on to the bench.
One would expect growing pains as the team develops but there is a sense that there is enough experience around them. That includes skipper Scott Barrett (88 Tests), vice-captains Codie Taylor (107) and Ardie Savea (106), plus Beauden Barrett (144). For whatever reason, that experience is not mitigating the areas under development.
A lack of meaningful progress in consistency is also apparent.
With the Rugby World Cup in Australia 23 months away and an extremely challenging tour of South Africa next August on the horizon, the All Blacks clearly have to make some big shifts and quickly.
When told this morning that, anecdotally, All Blacks’ fans were concerned about the team’s chances at the World Cup – given his team's run of form over the last two years – Robertson replied: “Firstly, I’ll say we have a team that cares deeply about the black jersey and we work tirelessly to make sure we work hard to be warriors on the field and champions off it because that’s a really important part of it.
“We haven’t quite got the results we’ve worked really hard for. We do feel it just like they do.”
Asked whether he felt he had the support of New Zealand Rugby chairman David Kirk, a World Cup winner with the All Blacks in 1987, Robertson said: “He’s pretty pragmatic – he tells it like it is, as you’d expect.
“He’s hugely supportive. He understands – he’s got relationships in the group.”
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