All Blacks coach Scott Robertson confers with his captain Scott Barrett. Photo / Photosport
THREE KEY FACTS
‘C’s get degrees, right? Not with the All Blacks.
A patchy pass mark is where the All Blacks conclude their first year under Scott Robertson.
It could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been a better year for the All Blacks – and there is the promise of more to come in 2025.
For now, though, form fluctuations – both within games and week-to-week – leave this team searching for their ruthless, clinical edge.
While they can compete with the world’s best, no one is yet sure which version of the All Blacks will turn up from one half to the next.
As they break for summer, consistently inconsistent is the lasting impression. This 10-4 season was punctuated with brilliance and deflation in near-equal measure.
A year that started in July with two shaky home escapes against England progressed to a Rugby Championship campaign that delivered an underwhelming 50% record.
Two brutal outings against the world champion Springboks in South Africa proved the All Blacks’ pack can physically match anyone in the world.
Results in the republic could’ve been different had the All Blacks not attempted to protect a double-digit lead in the first test at Ellis Park, and had they not endured a second-half fade the following week in Cape Town.
Those successive losses handed the Boks the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009, and the Rugby Championship title for the first time in five years.
By the end of the year, there was no ambiguity surrounding the world’s best team.
The All Blacks grouped for their gruelling five-match northern tour. Three tests against England, Ireland and France in 15 days was a huge task away from home. And, yet, the All Blacks should’ve prevailed against all three heavyweights.
The attacking blueprint started to click at Twickenham. The All Blacks were the better team against England, but George Ford skying two late chances to nail match-winning kicks is one example of how this season could easily have tilted from pass to failure. That scenario was true of all three tests against England. The second-half capitulation against the Wallabies in Sydney is another case in point.
Trumping Ireland, world No 1 at the time, in Dublin to snap their 19-match unbeaten home run is the premier scalp of the year.
From a six-day turnaround to injuries to Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor and Ireland’s desperation to avenge their World Cup quarter-final heartache, everything was stacked against the All Blacks.
Their composure to overcome adversity and stay true to their attacking intent to humble Ireland is the resilience the All Blacks must bottle. But so, too, must we acknowledge the All Blacks struck Ireland at a favourable time – coming in cold with no match since July.
France stands alone as the most frustrating loss of the year. Losing to the Pumas in Wellington was a major setback that forced Robertson to rethink his selections to preserve fortress Eden Park the following week, but blowing the chance to knock off France in Paris stings more.
That loss left the All Blacks one point shy of an unbeaten northern tour. Such an achievement would have underscored progress. These fine-line margins – and the flop in the season finale against Italy – instead cast a much more uncertain narrative.
Nine tests away from home, two against the world champions, is a tough schedule. But this is the All Blacks. Expectations are exceedingly high. On reflection, those were not met this season.
Grade: C+
Riding the wave of unrivalled public support after seven successive titles with the Crusaders, vastly more boldness was expected from Robertson.
A degree of leeway is necessary after presiding over the largest All Blacks coaching and management change in two decades.
Adjustments take time, particularly when one of your assistant coaches abruptly leaves five tests into the year.
Leon MacDonald’s costly exit is a black mark on Robertson’s first season. Appointed nine months before assuming charge, Robertson should have envisioned those problems with his hand-picked coaching team.
As it transpired, the All Blacks attack improved at times as the year progressed but the loyalty to Sevu Reece over Mark Tele’a on the right wing – one alleged flashpoint of the Robertson-MacDonald breakdown – proved misplaced.
Robertson finished his maiden test season with a 71% win record. Comparisons to predecessor Ian Foster are not straightforward as his first year featured three wins from six tests – all against the Wallabies and Pumas – due to Covid complications.
Foster’s next three years delivered 80% (another Covid-impacted season in 2021) 62% and 75% records. His final act, of course, was the one-point World Cup final loss.
As Robertson quickly discovered there’s no such notion as a honeymoon as All Blacks coach. The unforgiving competitive test scene, where one mistake, tentative captaincy decision or refereeing error can determine fate, is a world away from the ability to shape a Super Rugby campaign.
Robertson says he’s learnt on the job and he should be better for emotive pressure-cooker experiences. He must now swiftly enact those lessons to deliver definitive improvement in year two.
MacDonald’s mid-season exit sparked a major reshuffle by pushing Scott Hansen into overseeing the attack and promoting Tamati Ellison to full-time assistant.
The question now is whether the All Blacks’ coaching team is imbalanced.
With Hansen and Jason Holland leading the attack, Ellison assigned to contact and skills and Robertson operating in the typical helicopter head coach role with his trademark focus on theming, Jason Ryan has a huge brief to manage as forwards coach every week.
Ryan deserves credit for the All Blacks’ scrum dominance that’s become a vaunted weapon – and their maul too. The lineout performed exceptionally well on opposition ball but fluctuated at times retaining their own throws.
The pressing concern for the All Blacks is their breakdown. This is where they are missing Joe Schmidt’s presence.
Ireland, France and Italy all enjoyed success disrupting the All Blacks at the source, slowing their desire to play at pace and making life extremely difficult for Cam Roigard and Cortez Ratima. Whether it’s a mindset or system fix, the All Blacks must address their consistent cleanout work and ball presentation/protection.
Further changes to the All Blacks’ coaching team aren’t imminent, but it’s worth noting every other top-tier test contender employs more than one specific forwards coach.
The All Blacks were shellshocked by their home loss to the Pumas. The rematch the following week at Eden Park was circled as a chance to promote the next generation.
Fearing the fallout should they botch the now 50-test unbeaten record at the fortress, the All Blacks instead turned to experience by recalling Sam Cane for his first appearance of the year and retaining veteran halfback TJ Perenara to start among their first-choice team of the time.
Feedback from players, as the new coaching team attempted to share their vision, strongly stated the game plan was too cluttered, involving too much detail, which didn’t allow enough freedom to act on instinct or to use their bodies.
A much more simplistic, confrontational, direct strategy worked in the rematch with the Pumas. And while the All Blacks went toe-to-toe with the Springboks in Africa, clearly defined game-plan shifts didn’t arrive until Wayne Smith spent the week in camp in Wellington before the second Bledisloe.
Smith’s influence can’t be understated in stripping back unnecessary detail. His unwavering belief in shaping the defence and using the ball to create ‘attacking chaos’ was evident in the convincing 33-13 win over the Wallabies, and largely throughout the northern tour that followed.
Since that victory in Wellington, the All Blacks have embraced more offloading, more attacking variety. While their skill execution, the balance between run and kick which is intrinsically linked to countering defensive line speed requires refinement, their attacking blueprint is there.
Their final underwhelming outing against Italy dished up a clunky and confused attacking performance but they boast too many weapons not to get on the same page next year.
The All Blacks are at their best when they dominate collisions, retain the ball, chase the width and play at pace. When they can’t generate that platform their discipline – they conceded 14 yellow cards in their last 10 tests this year – is a major problem to amend.
It’s impossible to shake the sense of missed opportunities for the All Blacks this year. Robertson’s mandate for change didn’t extend to brave selections.
The narrative of promoting 10 rookies to the test scene is true, but somewhat misleading when Billy Proctor, George Bell, Harry Plummer, Sam Darry, Noah Hotham and Ruben Love were all fleetingly used.
That notion extends to talented playmaker Stephen Perofeta, too, after he was left out in the cold for the final test of the year.
From Wallace Sititi to Asafo Aumua and Peter Lakai, this year’s big selection gains were forced through injuries to incumbents.
Sititi’s impact may well have been muted had Luke Jacobson, Ethan Blackadder and Dalton Papali’i been fit. Without that trio’s absence for the northern tour, Lakai would still be awaiting his test debut.
Proctor was the standout midfielder throughout Super Rugby - yet he only featured against Fiji and Japan. Not giving him game time in the Rugby Championship was a major oversight.
Pasilio Tosi, the bolter of Robertson’s first squad, and Chiefs halfback Ratima are examples where the All Blacks actively promoted emerging talent throughout the year.
While regeneration was evident after the traditional post-World Cup exodus, selection conservatism stunted the All Blacks’ development.
The overriding frustration is youth often led the way.
Sititi was a revelation – rightly recognised as World Rugby breakout player of the year and then dubbed a future All Blacks captain by Dan Carter.
The 21-year-old Lakai proved he, too, is the long-term future of the loose forwards after a composed 78-minute shift off the bench against France in his second test appearance.
Tupou Vaa’i excelled in the second-row. Tamaiti Williams emerged as a propping force and Roigard is the anointed halfback.
When the All Blacks had their backs to the wall, though, when results were necessary to stave off scrutiny, Robertson leaned heavily on experience.
The All Blacks paid the price for fatigue in their final forgettable test in Turin. At the end of a torrid season, when a blend of fresh legs and experience was needed, the All Blacks instead opted to largely roll out the same tired group.
The time is now for the new generation to be embraced, promoted, exposed. Not kept on ice. They will only grow with experience.
Robertson must confront several challenging selections next year – none more so than in the stacked loose forwards.
If, as expected, the All Blacks maintain their attacking blueprint that promotes offloads, speed, power, and catch-pass skills, they must harness athletes to suit that style.
Such an approach favours Ardie Savea, Sititi, Lakai, Papali’i and Hoskins Sotutu’s natural strengths over Blackadder and Jacobson.
In a world of optics, the All Blacks, with four former Crusaders coaches in their ranks, must also tread carefully with polarising selections, such as Chay Fihaki, that suggestfavouritism.
Emoni Narawa, while injured at the back-end of this year, is among New Zealand’s outside backs more deserving of a national recall.
Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Sititi and Caleb Clarke all have claims but it’s impossible to overlook Tupou Vaa’i.
In an area that evoked grave fears following Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick’s retirements, Vaa’i emerged from a four-year apprenticeship to consistently stamp his mark.
Early season injuries to senior locks Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu thrust Vaa’i to the forefront. And he thrived to play a prominent role at the lineout, breakdown, and with his mobility around the park. Vaa’i featured in 13 of 14 tests – missing only the romp over Japan.
This was a coming-of-age year for the 24-year-old who proved he has blossomed from the shy talent the Chiefs plucked from labouring with his father to a bona-fide test-quality lock.
It is, however, telling that the best performers came from the forward pack. Will Jordan, Roigard and Mark Tele’a were late-season movers as the All Blacks eventually settled on their first-choice backline but for all the consistency of selection, they need more from their midfield.
Tamaiti Williams, Sititi, Lakai, and Highlanders lock Fabian Holland will continue to emerge. Leicester Fainga’anuku’s return from France in time for the All Blacks season will also bolster depth.
As long signposted, Richie Mo’unga is widely expected to cut his three-season Japanese contract one year short and join Robertson next year, too.
Mo’unga’s expected return, as Robertson’s long-time quarterback, should further improve the All Blacks attack, but it would create an immediately awkward dynamic with Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie.
Barrett finished the year as the preferred playmaker, but McKenzie guided the All Blacks to their most notable victory of the year in Dublin – and Robertson’s plans to press the new NZ Rugby board to change their eligibility stance show he’s clearly pining for Mo’unga.
While it would be helpful to cherry-pick one or two players from abroad for the All Blacks, selecting multiple ageing players from offshore is not the long-term answer.
The All Blacks are not the Springboks. New Zealand must cut its own path that focuses on developing and promoting existing youth that, in many positions, is kicking down the door.
Robertson’s second year at the helm, which includes two home tests against the Springboks and a potential Grand Slam tour, will come with increased expectations.
Raising the bar is the All Blacks legacy, after all.
Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010, and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.
The missing rugby jersey was found after a two-year search.