26 candidates, a three-horse race . . . only one winner
For the first time since 2011 New Zealand Rugby has a pivotal decision to make in terms of appointing a new coach to lead the men in black going forward.
I find it extraordinary that NZR has approached as many as 26 candidates to apply for the position and go through the interview process.
Granted, the men in suits have got their own ideas but sifting through that many applicants is a huge undertaking – why would they approach so many people?
They might want to leave no stone unturned but sometimes you get more messed up if you fail to keep it simple.
In contrast, as director of rugby Rassie Erasmus will effectively decide on the next Springboks coach, having chosen to vacate the role after the 2019 World Cup.
Erasmus is in charge and whenever you get a strong leader making good decisions people follow him.
Even if he hadn’t won the World Cup, Erasmus has earned the right to call the shots because he has got everybody pulling in the same direction. The fact is you need direction and leadership and that is what he has afforded this group.
Warren Gatland, who will take over at the Chiefs in 2020, has said ‘‘no’’ to applying for the All Blacks job so, for me, it’s a three-horse race between Ian Foster, Jamie Joseph and Scott Robertson.
If NZR opts for Foster it’s more of the same, if its selects Joseph it would mean a complete overhaul and if it picks Robertson it would be embracing a coach who would be a breath of fresh air and offer a generational change.
Foster is a good coach and has a
great pedigree but he has been second in charge behind Steve Hansen for a long time.
If Joseph, who has done brilliantly with Japan, were to come in it would be about the players having to adapt to a completely new culture. He hasn’t worked with many of the players. You could argue he has coached the
Highlanders but those players are not current stars.
When it comes to Robertson you cannot say he is a fly-by-nighter or has just emerged on the scene because he hasn’t. The 45-year-old coached the New Zealand under-20 team to the 2015 junior world championship, won the ITM Cup with Canterbury twice and has
guided the Crusaders to successive Super Rugby titles in the last three years, an unprecedented feat.
The Crusaders were always a good team but struggled to get over the line under former head coach Todd Blackadder. With Robertson in charge it has been amazing how dominant they have become.
Another aspect in Robertson’s
favour is many of the current Crusaders are playing for the All Blacks, so you aren’t exposing your team to a whole new culture.
The other tick in his coaching box is Robertson plays in a style that has got energy, but the Crusaders are not just a chuck-theball-around team.
Robertson could get his team
play World Cup-winning rugby as well. Under Robertson, the Crusaders boast a brilliant kicking game and the best defence in Super Rugby.
When running the rule over Robertson, you are not looking at a Super Rugby-style coach who would be coming in and taking over a test side with different needs and challenges. The way the Crusaders win is by ostensibly playing test match rugby, so he is well-suited.
Some may suggest appointing Robertson isn’t a safe choice but I believe it’s the lowest risk out of everything to get him involved.
I reckon the decision-makers at the helm of New Zealand Rugby should say: ‘‘We have had a brilliant run under Hansen and have picked up a little hiccup.’’
However, the reality is that it wasn’t just at the World Cup – it was the whole year building up to the showpiece in Japan.
It’s naive to say it was a one-off occurrence losing so convincingly against England. It was a hiding waiting to happen and the reality is that the gap has shrunk.
The All Blacks would now want to say: ‘‘Let’s close up this gap again.’’
Taking everything into account, I believe Robertson is the best candidate to succeed Hansen because he is coaching half of the All Blacks team already.
South African Brendan Venter is a 1995 Rugby World Cup winner and a former assistant coach of the Springboks.