Missing the bus on coaches
The world of international rugby coaching has never been in such turmoil less than 10 months before the opening fixture of the men’s World Cup. The coaches of three of the nations ranked in the world’s top-10 are threatened with the sack, and one of them looks unlikely to survive the week. It’s like watching a particularly gory episode of The Apprentice.
Wayne Pivac of Wales, Eddie Jones of England and Ian Foster of New Zealand have each overseen one of the worst seasons in those country’s proud rugby histories. Pivac seems almost certain to lose his job after Wales lost to Georgia and then blew a 21-point lead against Australia, but it is the other two jobs that have huge ramifications for rugby in New Zealand.
Jones, who is to face a review by a furious RFU executive, will probably survive, because otherwise the executive would then have to review themselves.
The call has already gone out for Scott Robertson to be appointed, if not as immediate head coach, then as Jones’s sidekick in preparation to take over after the World Cup. Many Kiwi fans would wish Robertson well, whilst also gagging at the sight of him in the England coaching box.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way if NZR managed to do something rather than just talking about it. But at the moment it is paralysed by process. Foster would have to be reviewed. People would have to be asked to apply. Then there would be interviews. And some time in the year 2024, when most of the prime livestock in the stable will long ago have bolted, an appointment will be made.
This is crazy and it is about time NZR did something about it. New Zealand won the women’s World Cup because they didn’t have to go through this rigmarole. CEO Mark Robinson and Wayne Smith live fairly close together. They met for a coffee at the start of the year. They had another catch-up as they explored the possibilities of what Smith could bring to New Zealand rugby. Smith said he would love to be involved with the women. And hey, what do you know, miracles started to happen.
But sadly men’s rugby in New Zealand is still reaping the consequences of the authoritarian axis between Graham Henry, Steve Tew and Steve Hansen. The triumvirate decided that continuity was the key to success. You appointed from within, however mediocre the coach. And the triumvirate also decreed that the top man needed overseas experience.
Robertson never stood a chance during the process to replace Hansen. I am even told that during Robertson’s interview process, a mobile phone went off and the person actually left the room to take the call. Astonishing.
Another hindrance to the current New Zealand executive is the fact that under then-CEO Tew and then-coach Hansen, NZR managed to so alienate some of this country’s best coaches that they swore they would never come back. They probably didn’t fully mean it, but the likes of Dave Rennie, Jamie Joseph and even Gatland felt demeaned.
We are reaping the consequences of those poor decisions, but NZR also looks set to repeat some of the mistakes. I still hear it is banging on about the need for overseas experience to the detriment of Robertson. Why? Where’s the evidence?
The two highest ranked teams in the world, and there is quite a gap to third, are Ireland and*
France. Andy Farrell has only ever coached in England and Ireland and Fabien Galthie has never coached outside France. Previous winners of the World Cup Jake White, Clive Woodward and Rod Macqueen had only coached domestically.
So let’s stop making false excuses about not appointing Robertson. Yes, Joe Schmidt said he wouldn’t work with him. Fine, not everyone is compatible. Even the odd Crusaders player didn’t give Robertson an entirely favourable review. No surprise there either.
Any decent coach is bound to butt heads occasionally.
On the other hand Ronan O’Gara has called Robertson a ‘‘bit of a mad genius.’’ And Mike Brown, the former England fullback, who was just coached by Robertson at the Barbarians, is pleading for England to appoint him.
Brown wrote: ‘‘I’ve been lucky enough to spend the week with Scott Robertson in the Barbarians camp this week and it’s convinced me that he should be the next England coach . . . What really struck me is how good he is with people. I’ve played for plenty of coaches over the years but I’ve not come across any who bring people together like Scott did this week.
‘‘He connects with people so well and so quickly. Plenty of coaches can do the tactical and technical bits but not many of them are exceptional motivators too. Scott makes it enjoyable and I think that’s exactly what the England team need.’’
But will NZR give Robertson a contract before it’s too late, or will it lose its best young coach to a rival? Sadly, the latter is looking increasingly likely.
Until NZR whittles the appointment committee down to the chief executive, an expert but independent advisor (Wayne Smith would be perfect) and a member of the board with deep rugby knowledge, then it will continue to lose some of its best talent to rival nations.
Robertson said recently: ‘‘The All Blacks is my preferred choice but if it didn’t work out that way, you know, England’s got so much potential, it’d be a pretty special job. I’m in constant contact with the NZRU. But you consider any opportunity in international football because there’s not many of them and it’s a four-year cycle.’’
Unfortunately you sometimes think that NZR also believes it has four years to appoint its next coach. It doesn’t. It now barely has four weeks before the best talent heads overseas. South Africa sacked Allister Coetzee months before the 2019 World Cup and went on to win it. NZR won’t sack Foster, but it could at least have the guts to name his replacement.
And don’t say, please, what if Fozzie wins the World Cup. That’s the same bleat coming out of Jones and England. The All Blacks and England are way bigger than one tournament every four years. Both teams have had catastrophic seasons. One coach has lost the players. The other coach is a hopeless selector.
New Zealand needs to plan for the future and it needs to do it now.
Will NZR give Robertson a contract before it’s too late, or will it lose its best young coach to a rival? Sadly, the latter is looking increasingly likely.