All Blacks Sam Darry, Will Jordan and Cortez Ratima speak about their shortcomings against Argentina and their preparation for this weekend's game. Video / Dean Purcell
Opinion by Liam Napier
Liam Napier is the Chief Sports Writer and Rugby Correspondent for New Zealand's Herald.
Scott Robertson has won three of four tests as coach
New Zealand have not lost a test at Eden Park since 1994
OPINION
Scott Robertson’s honeymoon, if there is such a notion in the All Blacks, is over.
Unlike his predecessor Ian Foster, who fought a fraught narrative as the unwanted man from the outset of his turbulent four-year tenure, Robertson rode a wave of public adoration to the coveted national hot seat.
Seven successive titles with the Crusaders fashioned an unrivalled Super Rugby success. During that time Robertson was the break-dancing motivator, the innovator, the golden ticket to the promised land.
Robertson’s elevation to the All Blacks throne was, therefore, supposed to herald the dawn of a bright new era. Instead, after two shaky home wins against England, a romp over Fiji and last week’s stark reality check from the Pumas, the All Blacks must summon a decisive response to quell familiar unease.
Four tests into any coaching tenure is early doors, sure. Maybe patience is required. But with three of those performances lacking authority and conviction, it is time the All Blacks stamp their mark. And that must start with a physically dominant platform from the forward pack.
This is foreign territory for Robertson. It’s not as though he hasn’t faced adversity before. But not as a coach on this scale. Canterbury, the Crusaders and New Zealand under-20s don’t compare to the consuming, demanding All Blacks stage.
Compared to backlashes from other recent All Blacks defeats this side was fortunate their black eye from the Pumas arrived amid the golden Olympic glow that dominated New Zealand’s sporting agenda.
All eyes now, though, shift to fortress Eden Park. Suffer another setback there, where the All Blacks are unbeaten for 30 years, in their last 49 matches, and with a two-test tour against the ominous world champion Springboks in South Africa to follow, the mood will sour as quickly as milk left out overnight.
This year was never going to be easy.
Set against the backdrop of the All Blacks losing the World Cup final by one point, of test centurions and other influential figures departing New Zealand rugby, of the largest scale management cleanout in two decades and a brutal schedule featuring nine of 14 tests away from home, Robertson immediately confronts the deep end of the unforgiving test scene that is a world away from Super Rugby.
Few, though, expected him to enter sink-or-swim territory so soon.
After ushering in four starting changes to his team, Robertson has maintained conservative selections and backed experience to emerge from the mire.
Unconvincing performances intensify the glare which leads to murmurings such as those that this All Blacks team is cluttered from potential overcoaching.
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has cut a tense figure while fielding probes about his team this week. Photo / Mark Mitchell
With four assistant coaches, plus others in the specialist kicking, contact and lineout throwing departments, Robertson’s team is supersized.
All coaches have contrasting approaches. All require time on the training field to convey their messages.
While many hands make light work elsewhere, the opposite can be true in coaching where simplifying the message is often the best method, particularly in times of struggle.
With two assistants assigned to the attack portfolio, Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland, two on defence, Scott Hansen and Tamati Ellison, and Jason Ryan and Robertson guiding the forwards, the All Blacks could well be overloaded with information, which risks inhibiting instinctive skill.
Robertson, an eternal optimist, cut a tense figure while fielding probes about his team this week but those who know him well, such as Crusaders Will Jordan and Tamaiti Williams, offered an insight into his demeanour following his first defeat as All Blacks coach.
“The dial always gets turned up a bit after a loss,” Jordan said. “Razor is good. He’s got a huge amount of care for this team. He played for the All Blacks before and he’s been waiting for this opportunity for a while. He’s hugely motivated to have us on the right path and have us performing. We had a great review and he’s had a clear vision for us this week.”
Williams said: “I’ve been lucky enough to be coached by Ray through the early part of my career. He drives excellence. We all know that. He’s a great man and a great coach. It’s a new week. We’ll take our lessons and we’re looking forward to this opportunity.”
Saturday night presents a true test of Robertson’s coaching team’s ability to source swift solutions against the same opposition.
Amending their inaccurate exits, grasping a more direct approach with their ball carrying, fixing transition defence, avoiding another final quarter meltdown and imposing their set piece strength on the Pumas are the big rocks the All Blacks must get right to ensure they follow the bounce back script of their two previous losses to Argentina.
With Marcos Kremer switching from openside to lock, the Pumas will seek to again target the All Blacks breakdown in forecast rain that could prove a leveller.
“After a loss there’s always going to be a bit of edge brought in,” Jordan said. “That’s human nature around there being a bit of tension in the room. We prepared well last week. It wasn’t a case of underestimating the Pumas.
“Once you lose there’s always a huge amount of motivation to go and right that. The nature of the Rugby Championship and playing back-to-back tests against teams you do get a chance to learn some things and make adjustments.
“That’s what we’ve done well in previous years going back to 2020 and 2022. It’s important we do that this week but it’s important that we don’t think because we’ve done it in the past it’s going to happen again and we’re going to roll them at Eden Park this week. It’s a new week and a blank slate so we’ve got to get the job done.”
No one will be more aware, and perhaps more nervous, of the need for the All Blacks to respond than Robertson.
If the realities of the test rugby coaching cauldron weren’t evident before, they sure are now.
