All Blacks great takes issue with Razor’s timing
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson’s declaration that he will chase an overseas test role if he doesn’t get the All Blacks job has not gone down well with test great Jeff Wilson.
Robertson said last week that he was ‘‘open’’ to offers from rival nations, but Wilson has questioned the timing of that statement with the All Blacks and coach Ian Foster under intense pressure as they prepare to face the Springboks for two tests in South Africa.
‘‘The trouble is that Scott Robertson’s come out and said he wants to win two Rugby World Cups with two different teams, he wants to get the opportunity to coach at the international level,’’ Wilson said on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown show on Sunday.
‘‘It’s interesting he said that when he’s actually under contract with New Zealand Rugby. I find that difficult.
‘‘The fact that he’s going to coach the Barbarians ... I think he had the opportunity to coach the All Blacks XV, he turned that down.
‘‘So, we know exactly where Scott Robertson sits right now. His expectations are that he wants to go to the next level.
‘‘But they [the All Blacks] have a job to do, and I think this has put, in some ways, New Zealand Rugby in a really difficult situation.
‘‘Where does Ian Foster sit right now? He knows that he’s got two test matches to deliver.’’
The Breakdown regular Mils Muliaina backed Robertson’s right to express his ambitions, particularly after his sustained success at the Crusaders.
However, Wilson insisted the timing of his interview had been damaging to his employer.
‘‘Does this help the situation, though, him doing that interview when the All Blacks are under all sorts of pressure? Does this conversation help New Zealand Rugby, him coming out and saying this?’’ Wilson said.
On Saturday, NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson refused to guarantee Foster’s job beyond the two tests against South Africa.
‘‘He’s certainly the person to lead the team to South Africa, and we’re making sure they’ve got everything possible in the way of resourcing and support to make sure that’s successful,’’ Robinson said in a radio interview on Newstalk ZB.
That reflected the scrutiny Foster is under following four losses in the past five tests, with assistant coaches Brad Mooar and John Plumtree already shown the door.
Wilson and Muliaina agreed that Foster needed to win at least one test in South Africa to save his job.
‘‘I think if they split two, I think if they win one over there, and perform, it’ll give him an opportunity to come up against...Argentina, who we can beat, Australia, we’ve had their number... then you can build some momentum,’’ Wilson said.
‘‘But the future is right in these two test matches [in South Africa]. If he lost both, it would be really hard, really difficult.’’
Muliaina said: ‘‘I think we’ll [split the two tests]. We need to win the first one. And I think that’s the one we’re going to take.’’