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'Into the Blackness': Scott Robertson shares his theme for new All Blacks
By Ben Smith
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has shared some of the details around his theme for the All Blacks in his first year in charge.
The Super-coach who won seven Super Rugby titles in seven years with the Crusaders is renown for his theming, but they often remain a closely guarded secret.
Speaking to members of the public and sections of media at the All Blacks season launch in Wellington, Robertson shared his "together, we walk" theme with the young school children in attendance.
“Together is a connection piece,” Robertson said. “We come together from all over the country. These players have been given a gift from their mum and dad to play our great game of rugby.
“It draws them to be here right now. It’s our time in the black jersey to show that gift. We’ve come together but also our nation, our country, comes together.
“The All Blacks, the black jersey, is something that connects us, not just here but here in New Zealand but on the world stage. And we walk together.
“We’re representing the past players that went before us that left deep footprints and now it’s our chance to walk forward into the blackness.
“It’s something that’s beautiful and a gift that we’ve been given from the past and then we create a future for all you young future Black Ferns and All Blacks.”
Robertson's ability to bring together a group of players around a cause is considered one of his strongest assets with the theme binding it all together.
After naming his first All Blacks squad of the year on Monday, Robertson and his coaching staff have just over a week to prepare for their first Test in charge.
The All Blacks will take on England under the roof in Dunedin next Saturday in what will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2022 and first on New Zealand soil since 2014.
Just two England players remain from the 2014 squad that lost 3-0, in the backs Henry Slade while in the forwards prop Joe Marler returns.
The All Blacks have three players remaining for that squad, first five Beauden Barrett, halfback TJ Perenara and lock Patrick Tuipulotu.
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Latest Comments
Well the other idea I had been toying with which I think is still used in football, is something like each pool winners of the Challenge Cup gets entry into the round of 16 etc (or whateveer equivalnt entry point we can come up with) in the Champions Cup.
Those T2 sides could play a pool or some simple comp with the bottom dwellers (that was actually something else I liked in Jones structure, he left out 2 English sides alltogehter, 4+4-2), and then come into the Challenge Cup when those top4 sides go up?
That idea just helps keep a nice balance for me. I like both comps having exactly the same structure, and raising 4 or so T2 sides requires that to break in some manner.
Neither. You have a situation where like the Stormers lose to la Rochelle in Ro16 but lose out to a lower performing league team in Benneton (5th place v 7th) just because they made it to the semis of Challenge Cup.
Go to commentsWalter has been permanently psychologically damaged since his wife left him and moved in with a man from Sydney.
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