Robertson has so far attempted to invest his All Blacks with the same sort of cohesive mental and physical efficiency that typified his highly successful Crusaders – an elected elite, motivated by the pressure of history and previous successes, forming bonds to ensure future achievement and the meaningful introduction of new blood to the cadre.
That has meant leaning heavily towards experience and respect – granting battle-hardened warriors Sam Cane his 100th test and TJ Perenara his home farewell.
Yet the standout players this season have been newbies Wallace Sititi, Tamaiti Williams, Cortez Ratima and Tupou Vaa’i – the latter a bit-part player under Ian Foster, but who has grown into a mainstay after gaining consistent game time.
It is by no means certain the predominantly conservative selection policy thus far will omit Cane and Perenara this time around, though it is surely time. The November tours have the All Blacks take on England, France and Ireland, while the All Blacks XV will play Munster and Georgia.
This is the time for new selections to reinforce the success of others like Sititi, though Robertson will be under no illusions re the difficulty of the northern tour.
The north is a far greater adversary than in previous eras. There is no prospect, for example, of an experimental team like that taken north by John Mitchell in 2002 (who beat Wales, drew with France and came within a whisker of beating England).
The embarrassing loss to Argentina this year and the two tests lost to the Boks showed the All Blacks they are some way from potential world champion status; the three big northern tests in three weeks will be important in sorting out Robertson’s top team.
That is vital because, if it comes off, the 2026 tour of South Africa, playing top clubs, a South Africa A side and three tests against the Boks, could be a real benchmark for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
So this end-of-year tour and the 2025 season are fast approaching as the end of Robertson’s “rebuilding” period, which so far has been less about rebuilding than renovating.
Time, then, to make some distinct decisions regarding those areas still attracting unanswered questions: the make-up of the loose forwards post-Cane; the halfbacks post-Perenara (particularly with the return of Cam Roigard), and the issue of who wears the No 10 jersey.
The popular consensus is that in the second Bledisloe Cup test Beauden Barrett played his way into the jersey with a cool display that gave the All Blacks a sense of calm and a more stable springboard.
Maybe, but the Barrett v Damian McKenzie debate is not done yet; the northern tour will be an ideal testing ground. It could also be that the midfield – and specifically Rieko Ioane’s part in it – could also come under more intensive scrutiny.
It’s been interesting watching him finish tests back on the wing, doubly so witnessing the loss of form of wingers like Mark Tele’a, meaning Sevu Reece has been playing a stopgap role.
Will Jordan has secured his 15 jersey and has shown the benefits of express pace, something the All Blacks do not have a lot of. Ioane has extreme speed, but is rarely able to show it in the midfield maelstrom; his distribution has, after years in the job, improved only a little.
Anton Lienert-Brown will be 32 by the time of the next World Cup and has played many of his 79 tests at centre, often as a replacement, without ever really claiming ownership of the 13 jersey (his good showing against the Wallabies acknowledged).
Time, maybe, for more games for Billy Proctor and his undoubted distribution skills?
One positive is that the All Blacks have shown the way they want to play – their attacking style has been good to watch on the odd occasions it has come off.
That won’t frighten the north; we have seen before how their rush defences can choke-hold the All Blacks and they are capable of mounting powerful attacks on the back of big forward packs who arm-wrestle the All Blacks into the slower, more controlled game they prefer.
So Robertson will need to find players capable of applying that attacking mindset; able to find holes in the defence surely being set for them.
That’s why McKenzie is still important, even if from the bench, and so are newbies like Sititi, Ratima, Noah Hotham, Proctor and as-yet unselected candidates like loose forward Peter Lakai and winger-fullback Shaun Stevenson – a gifted attacker surprisingly gazumped by Crusaders winger-fullback Chay Fihaki when Robertson needed injury cover for the Rugby Championship.
Most expected Robertson to come in with a big, bristly, new broom and sweep the old regime’s traces away. Instead, he produced a little brush and shovel, with halfback Finlay Christie and Blues teammate Hoskins Sotutu the only casualties.
He’ll be sorely tempted to keep Cane and Perenara on board for the northern tour – but this isn’t their time.
The balancing of youth and experience will be intriguing in the selections of both All Blacks squads, with little-seen players like Stephen Perofeta and/or Harry Plummer likely to shuttle between both sides.
It’s rebuilding time.
