Dude with Razor-sharp mind
Coaching countdown: Conservative mindset may be counterproductive to NZR board in picking ABs mentor
It has been scientifically proven, almost, that glaciers have moved quicker than the New Zealand Rugby board, an entity which voted in its first female representative — Farah Palmer — only three years ago, and, traditionally at least, has tended to find comfort in the status quo.
Things are changing, but slowly. Palmer brings a welcome new perspective, as does former All Black Sir Michael Jones, who holds Samoan matai chief titles and credit too must go to chairman Brent Impey, in particular, for his work around the Respect and Responsibility review of the game when it was at a low ebb after the Chiefs’ stripper scandal in 2016.
And yet, as the clock ticks down to the selection of Steve Hansen’s replacement as All Blacks head coach — the first interviews will be held early next month and a decision made hopefully by Christmas — there may be a concern among supporters of Scott Robertson that the man known as Razor and famous worldwide for his breakdancing celebrations and occasionally quirky humour won’t get a fair hearing from a conservative board.
The interviewing panel of Impey, Sir Graham Henry, Mark Robinson, Waimarama Taumaunu and Mike Anthony will almost certainly take open minds into the process which will include Dave Rennie, Ian Foster and Jamie Joseph as other leading candidates. But will the board, who sign off on the panel’s recommendation? They may take a different view and if it is because of inherent conservatism, that would be a massive mistake.
Robertson, the surfer dude who lives by the beach, has always been a bit different. Wayne Smith, one of his most trusted mentors, revealed recently that when Robertson began coaching the Sumner senior club side he took a video camera around the suburb highlighting its nicest attributes to instil pride in his players. They won the championship that year. He was also wildly successful with Canterbury, won a world championship as head coach of the New Zealand Under20s, and a perfect three from three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders.
He is a charismatic character but the hair and the quips — “I was hoping for a singlet with a collar actually”, he said when complimented on his Hawaiian shirt at the recent New Zealand Super Rugby launch in Auckland — the breakdancing, the skateboarding, the occasional “wow” in press conferences, can all serve to distract from what makes Robertson so good at his job.
And that’s his way with people: Attention to detail, ability to pass on information in different ways depending on the individual, rugby nous and knack for bringing a group of competitive people together. Robertson may appear laid back but he’s incredibly intense when it comes to his job. Hopefully the NZR board will understand that as well as the initial panel almost certainly will. Here’s Blues head coach Leon MacDonald talking about a former teammate and a man with whom he coached the Crusaders before leaving for Tasman and ending up in Auckland.
“Razor is hard-working,” MacDonald told me on Wednesday. “He puts a lot of time into everything he does, and he does everything thoroughly. You might be fooled into thinking he flies by the seat of his pants but it’s nothing of the sort with Razor. He’s very meticulous with his planning.
“I think his balance is what a lot of coaches don’t have. He can turn off and have fun; he does that with his surfing and use of humour around the place. We could probably all learn a little bit from him.”
One last thing: If Robertson doesn’t get the job he will likely serve out his remaining two years with the Crusaders and then go overseas with wife Jane and their three sons. A coaching jewel will be lost to New Zealand indefinitely. That’s probably worth thinking about, too.