Scott Robertson has opened up on his first year in charge of the All Blacks and reckons that he has learned his lessons following a challenging 2024.
The 50-year-old took over the reins from Ian Foster, who departed after New Zealand’s 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat to the Springboks.
Robertson had to deal with the departure of several key players and the fact that he had very little time to work with the squad before the July Test series.
The All Blacks boss duly admitted that at times he was “conservative” and could have been “braver”, but hopes to rectify that this year.
Improvement at the end of 2024
It was a slow start for the national team under his watch, losing three of his first seven games in charge, but there was a clear improvement towards the end of the campaign.
“Last year we had 10 days going into that first Test [against England] and there was a lot to download. You learn on your feet, you make decisions and sometimes you’re a little conservative because of the test in front of you,” he told the Sunday Star-Times.
“As a management and coaching group we understand experience counts, but you’ve still got to be hungry: how can we be better? That’s what we’ve focused on over this period.
“You know our DNA is to play, and we created more opportunities than any team in world rugby last year. We just didn’t finish them.
“We put ourselves in a lot of positions to win big Tests. We led every team – but we didn’t finish every team. So, how do we keep creating, but get better at finishing?”
All Blacks great Justin Marshall was one of those to be critical of Robertson’s selection policy, commenting in September last year: “It looks at this stage like Scott Robertson is not prepared to gamble and I’m a little surprised.
“We have lost three Test matches this year already and that goes to show that the players who are out there are under pressure, but he is still sticking with what he believes he can get the best out of.”
Robertson looking for All Blacks balance
On reflection, Robertson agreed to a certain extent and admits that he needs to find the ‘balance’ of bringing players through ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup but also winning Test matches.
“You always look at yourself as the leader. How do I create enough opportunities to bring through talent, but also win the Test in front of us? It’s a balancing act,” the head coach said.
“You feel like you could have been braver with a couple of combinations, and some you’re extremely happy with. We had 10 debutants, and some absolutely flourished.
“I understand everyone will have an opinion about what I do, which you love because they care so much about it. You do things right, but there are going to be some things that are not.
“Could you have done it better? Probably. That’s why you’ve got to stay your course, keep the trust, and keep the instinct that comes with coaching.”
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/scott-robertson-makes-incredibly-honest-admission-which-supports-all-blacks-greats-criticism-as-head-coach-vows-to-be-better
