Analysis: After Scott Robertson's dismissal, New Zealand Rugby's priority now is clear, argues Patrick McKendry.
Applications for the next All Blacks head coach have closed and New Zealand Rugby’s priority as they begin discussions with the leading (and perhaps only) candidates Jamie Joseph and Dave Rennie may be how the pair can work together.
Even a casual follower of the game here will recognise that this arrangement would be the ideal scenario for the All Blacks and it’s a case strengthened should Tony Brown, Joseph’s innovative assistant at the Highlanders, Sunwolves and Japan, remain with South Africa until after the World Cup, as he has signalled he will.
Joseph, preparing to kick off the new Super Rugby Pacific season with the Highlanders when they host the Crusaders on Friday night, is considered the favourite because of his presence in the NZ Rugby system – he was also the head coach of the All Blacks XV last year – but Rennie will make a compelling case of his own.
It is likely that NZ Rugby will send a delegation to Japan to speak to Rennie, the head coach of the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, and they could do worse than get feedback from current All Blacks and Steelers Ardie Savea and Anton Lienert-Brown, along with former New Zealand international Brodie Retallick, if they do.
The information a delegation - the interview panel is board chair David Kirk, board member Keven Mealamu, high performance consultant Don Tricker, interim chief executive Steve Lancaster and former All Black Dane Coles – could glean in Kobe would be significant.
NZ Rugby told 1News in a statement: "Applications for the All Blacks head coach have now closed. The process is progressing well and any updates will be shared as soon as appropriate."
There is no getting away from the fact that Rennie, who took the Chiefs to consecutive Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013 (in his first two years at that level) and did well at the Wallabies before he was effectively rolled by Eddie Jones in the months leading up to the 2023 World Cup (with disastrous consequences) has the better coaching record.
Joseph, who won a Super Rugby title in 2015, struggled initially at the Highlanders – and was probably saved only by the fact he didn’t have a win-loss key performance indicator in his contract after the southerners lost 13 of 16 matches in 2013.
His greatest year with Japan was undoubtedly at the 2019 World Cup hosted by his adopted nation. After beating Russia in the opening game, the Brave Blossoms beat Ireland, Samoa and Scotland to finish top of Pool A and qualify for the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual champions South Africa.
Ironically, perhaps, Japan’s greatest World Cup success remains their astonishing come-from-behind pool upset against South Africa in Brighton during the 2015 edition of the tournament when the head coach was one Eddie Jones.
Rennie, who took over Australia in 2020 and volunteered to take a 30% paycut after the outbreak of Covid hit the Rugby Australia coffers, led the Wallabies to a draw against the All Blacks in Wellington in his first Test and to a victory over New Zealand in Brisbane a month later.
In 2022, Rennie led the Wallabies to five straight victories over the Springboks (twice), Argentina (twice) and Japan.
If former All Blacks first-five Brown does remain with the Springboks until the end of next year, and only an apparent change of mind and an expensive buyout of his contract would alter that, Joseph’s application would be weaker, as Rennie presumably knows.
However, the likelihood of Brown joining the All Blacks once he fulfils his commitments with the current world champions would presumably be far stronger should Joseph be involved.
It makes a Rennie-Joseph partnership all the more compelling and there is no getting away from the fact that the All Blacks’ recent high watermark of success, the 2011 and 2015 World Cup triumphs, came with a cluster of heavyweight coaches, including Sir Graham Henry (2011), Sir Steve Hansen (2011 and 2015), Sir Wayne Smith (2011 and 2015) and Ian Foster (2015), involved.
Additionally, Foster and the highly-regarded Joe Schmidt almost took the All Blacks to World Cup glory against the odds in Paris three years ago.
It should not be forgotten either that Sir Brian Lochore coached the All Blacks to success at the 1987 World Cup alongside disparate personalities John Hart and the late Alex Wyllie.
Now to convince Rennie and Joseph that their futures may be better together.
SHARE ME