All Blacks coach Scott Robertson went from Super Rugby to White Hot testing in the test scene, making his first year proven rocky rides.
As he prepares for his second season, starting with three home tests against the second French team, Liam Napier explains the lessons that the Robertson All Blacks have to absorb.
Expectations did not match reality:
After leading the Crusades to seven consecutive titles, Robertson was widely called Messiah, and was therefore expected to handle promotion with the All Blacks with relative diplomacy. He would have been assumed to take the reins from Ian Foster and paint the All Blacks to the next level.
Instead, Robertson endured a challenging, steep learning curve when he came to grasp the countless pressure point tests imposed by rugby.
Ahrelief was evident as the All Black took charge of Robertson’s first Test last year and scored a one-point victory after England playmaker Marcus Smith missed out on goal winning shots in several matches.
The following week, the All Blacks needed Boden Barrett to emerge from the bench with a decisive cameo to avoid a defeat at Eden Park.
The All Black gradually improved as the season progressed, but there was no doubt that it had disrupted Ireland in Dublin, but finished with a 10-4 record highlighting the improvements that were requested from Robertson’s second year.
The comprehensive point from Robertson’s maiden season is to lead the All Blacks. Test rugby is actually a completely different beast.
Where do all black people try to improve?
Four Tests were a shocking defeat to the All Blacks Lost in 2024 – two in South Africa and Puma in Wellington, blew an unbeaten Northern Tour with a one-point loss in Paris – they led at halftime.
The major focus is to correct these later fades by lifting influences from the bench and improving attack accuracy and discipline.
“A lot of our reviews in the offseason were around that game because we gave us a lot of chances to win it.
“We felt we had a great two weeks with the Irish and the French, but we didn’t get the results we deserve. Sometimes we can’t get that in a test match with the ball’s bounce.”
Under the belt of the year, All Black knows how they want to tackle their second year – consistently advance their big ball carrier, leveraging the strength of their set pieces, attacking space and chasing turnovers.
“We want to play faster,” Robertson said. “I think the game is in a great place for us. Quick scrums, quick lineouts, taps. Trends in our skill sets are what we play and create fast.
Better to navigate a compressed start until this year:
Robertson’s expanded coaching team largely resolved after Scott Hansen took on a brief overview of the offense following Leon MacDonald’s sudden middle-age departure.
The only tweak this year is where Hurricane Lineout specialist Bryn Evans will replace Corey Flyn’s part-time slow service.
18 new management teams have been the biggest All Black coaching change in 20 years and not a smooth transition, taking part in Robertson’s arrival last year. And that showed.
This time last year, the All Blacks coaching team was found guilty of overloading a player in the first week, resulting in too much confusion.
This year, Robertson and his management will navigate this opening ten-day window before the opening test by surpriseing the details needed for the coming weeks.
“You have to give them enough, but you have to give them too much, so that’s a great balance,” Robertson said. “You may go through the lineout, and you may get more than you think, and you’ve run out of the menu, so what are we going to go now?
“There’s a lot of experience here. You get great feedback and check in.”
Rethinking the selection:
Robertson’s 33-man team features 6 rookies, with 33-man teams from three ttests against Stright Length French.
Last year, the All Blacks blooded 10 rookies following their traditional departures after the World Cup, but as pressure was on, conservatism significantly hampered development with progressive choices only when injuries forced their hands.
This year’s final test against Italy was one of the missed opportunities to grow the outlook for Fringe.
This year, Robertson is committed to being brave and bold in promoting new talent.
Non-Freshface Hurricane Centre Billy Proctor needs more game time after sitting at last year’s rugby championship. What do you expect from the French?
What’s unpredictable is the overused trope, but it’s fair to suggest that no one knows how this French team will gather when almost half-18 of the 37-man team are uncapsulated.
The average age per player is 25 years old and nine caps, clearly a green French team.
Five top 14 finalists – Rock Joshua Brennan (Toulouse), Flanker Bastien Vergnestile, Pierre Bochaton (Bordeaux Begules), midfielder Nicolas de Pula (Bordeaux Begules), Pierre Louis Barassi (Toulhouse) – take part in the first weekend test.
Due to years of agreement with the club, France is unable to pick the best players this July window.
It’s a huge shame for France to test rugby to essentially ignore this tour, and all-black people can only play the person in front of them.
Robertson is clearly wary of the story surrounding the French B-team.
“One thing about French is that they have depth. He (French coach Fabian Gartier) has done it over the past few years with the players he brought.
“You guys are so happy to hear that they’re exhausted and they’re going to raise their backs and we’re going to get a fierce French team.”
Regardless of the French absentee in these headlines, the All Blacks are not lacking motivation after losing the final three cracks at Rebrus.
“2018 has been a long time since I sang songs in the changing room after winning, so I know a lot about upcoming contests.”