'I'm ready': Robertson talks All Blacks coaching role and Crusaders new recruits
Super Rugby's most successful coach, Scott "Razor" Robertson, has reaffirmed his ambition to take on the All Blacks coaching role, also discussing the upcoming Super Rugby season and expressing excitement for his Crusaders roster that was named earlier this week.
Robertson joined the SENZ interview from Southern California, where he is participating in a professional development tour along with a number of Olympic swimming and AFL coaches. Razor mentioned the trip had so far included speakers from the NAVY SEALs and will tour the Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs facilities in the coming days, learning about their respective leadership programs.
Robertson's coaching résumé alone has Kiwi fans calling for him to succeed Ian Foster and lead the All Blacks through the next World Cup cycle, embarking on this tour proves he feels no complacency while regarded as the next big thing.
In the meantime, Robertson's Crusaders side will seek their seventh Super Rugby title in as many years during the upcoming season, which promises to be Robertson's last at the level.
"It's a part of me, it's a part of who I am," Robertson said of the Canterbury-based rugby club, adding that he wanted his 24th and final year at Rugby Park to be just as good as those preceding it, striving to be the best version of himself for the team's sake.
The Crusaders announced a typically strong squad on Wednesday, with one particular young talent choosing the red and black region over his home team for the chance to learn from the best.
"Taha Kemara, who's got a great connection with Noah Hotham, out of (Hamilton) Boys High, he's a year young so we went at him about a year ago and built a great relationship, so we're pleased he's come down."
Robertson continued to share a few thoughts on his team's other new signings.
"Obviously Macca Springer, who's a great athlete, had an awesome NPC. He sort of replaces that George Bridge, left-wing, left foot.
"George Bell, who just can play, he's just got a bit of a niggly injury at the moment.
"But, they're all the future. When we sign them, we sign them for 10-year Crusaders, 100 games, get up on our wall.
"That's the mindset you've got to have, who's going to be a long-term Crusader and an All Black.
Complimenting the young newcomers is 29-year-old Melani Nanai, a name familiar to Blues fans with lethal skillset in broken play who in 2019 took his talents to the Worcester Warriors, earning valuable experience in Robertson's eyes.
"We wanted balance, we wanted someone who's a really good pro, been overseas, in really good condition. He's done an ACL but all the medical stuff's fine.
"We want him to be ready round one, be a good pro that can help, and teach us something as well; everyone that's come from overseas, either player or coach, has added to our group immensely.
"He's still hungry, he's still got a lot in him, he can play full-back, wing, he'll train at a real high level, as you have to, so he's a great acquisition.
Beyond the Super Rugby season, Robertson has made his ambitions perfectly clear and available for all to see.
“I’ve spent the last 15 years coaching to get ready to be the head coach for the All Blacks, that’s really clear.”
“Now, the decision’s for them (NZR). They know that I’m here, they know that I’d love to do the job and I’m ready.
“The decision’s (up to) them, I’ll wait through the process but I want to coach international footy.
“So (over) the next few months there’s a few decisions for a lot of people.”
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Finau is definitely operating on razor thin margins. He hasn’t done anything wrong… yet. But a player going into contact 6 inches lower than he is expecting, without him even knowing, will end in disaster. You can imagine a situation where the pass dies on Edmed and he has to bend down a little lower to catch it at the last second. Finau’s hit would have been catastrophic. The margins are just too fine. He needs to study how PSDT, at 6’7”, manages to drop his tackle height and exert just as much force with close zero danger of taking someone’s head off. Given how poorly NZ has adapted to lower their tackle height, and that this issue which has plagued the ABs for years and played a big part in them not winning the World Cup, I thought NZR and all SR coaches would be prioritising sorting this issue out. If I was Razor I would be on the phone to Clayton MacMillan and Samipeni Finau saying exactly that. Finau is a monster and shaping up to be the closest thing to Kaino since Kaino, but I wouldn’t risk selecting him for the ABs at the moment.
Go to commentsThe surprising stat I saw in the Blues game when showing Sotutu equaling the Blues forwards record was that Akira has not scored a try since 2019. Now my memory is pretty bad when it comes to those sorts of the things, I can remember his AB try though, but anyway I can’t see I can remember his last blues touchdown or any in recent years. Surely that still has to be a bogus stat. Maybe excludes SRA games?
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