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As Australian rugby churns from crisis to crisis, New Zealanders are also confronting a new era for their beloved All Blacks.
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The final whistle in the Rugby World Cup final – won by the Springboks by a single point – heralded the end of the road for many senior figures in the game.
Defeated coach Ian Foster is out, his challenging four-year reign has already been ended by New Zealand Rugby (NZR).
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The governing body announced in March that Foster would be replaced by Scott “Razor” Robertson, regardless of their World Cup showing.
Foster was a critic of the succession plan, saying he didn’t look for his next job while in the ABs role.
“My players last night and today are telling me, ‘Well now you can tell me what you’ve got planned, Ian’, and I said when I made that decision in March to speak out, I also made a decision to refuse to talk to anyone,” he told journalists in Paris.
“Any time I got offered any opportunity to coach after the World Cup I said I wasn’t interested until after the World Cup.”
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Foster was asked about a potential vacancy with the Wallabies but didn’t engage with the question.
Robertson won’t be able to call on Dane Coles, who is retiring, or superstars Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith, and Sam Whitelock, who made France 2023 their All Blacks swansong.
Another group of senior players are unlikely to be seen again, at least in the short term, as they fall foul of eligibility rules.
Beauden Barrett (Toyota in Japan), Richie Mo’unga, Shannon Frizell (both Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan), Leicester Fainga’anuku (Toulon in France) and Nepo Laulala (Toulouse in France) are moving abroad.
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NZR maintains a strict decades-long policy of selecting All Black squads from players in the Super Rugby competition.
Speaking in April, Robertson said he was keen to review that strategy.
“You’ve got to be a step ahead. If you’re a step behind and then changing rules, that’s when you get caught,” he said.
“They will definitely be getting my opinion and my thoughts.”
Ardie Savea (Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan) will also head abroad in 2024, but has re-signed with NZR for 2025.
Captain Sam Cane became the first player sent off in a Rugby World Cup final for a first-half shoulder charge, and it’s not yet clear how he will recover from that life-altering moment.
Foster backed him to continue.
“He’s got a team that treasure him and so they’ve surrounded him,” he said in Paris.
“He’ll continue to lead that group … but there’s no short cuts to getting over that.”
Cane and Jordie Barrett also hold sabbatical options, similar to Savea, in their NZR deals.
New Zealand’s other winner at the World Rugby awards was 26-year-old winger Mark Tele’a, named as breakthrough player of the year, and a key part of Robertson’s future.
Robertson will also be joined by a new-look coaching panel, with only forwards coach Jason Ryan retained from current All Blacks assistant coaches.
Leon McDonald and Jason Holland have been plucked from Super Rugby head coaching roles in Auckland and Wellington to manage the attack. Scott Hansen, Robertson’s assistant at the Crusaders, will be in charge of defence.
New Zealand stands out as the top prospect for 2027.
But, NZ Rugby will need to change their selection rules and open up selecting all blacks playing abroad - particularly the experienced ones who aren’t taking up space back home, and are adding to their experience in some of the most sophisticated and challenging leagues in the world.
Certainly more challenging than SR. That experience, turns out, is invaluable at world cups.
I’m Excited to see what Robertson brings to the All Blacks. Despite a rocky 4 years, to get within a point of WC glory tells you that talent is not the issue.
The ABs seem to have lost that killer instinct. When they smashed the boks at Mt Smart - I thought they’d turned a corner. But they retreated again.
Robertson looks like a team dynamic guy. And that seems to be what this team needs more than anything. A fresh start and some energy from their coach. NZ Rugby did a shit job in managing the succession after Foster. Negative vibes.
100% agree with Razor on this. The rule on players is ludicrous. You want the best players in your country playing for your country. Protectionism just back fires eventually. Look at what is happening now. Rugby moves at a glacial pace. This is how Australian rugby died…out competed by leaner, more nimble competition. Be careful NZR…
Gee I wouldn’t call sports like League and Rules lean and nimble, just the opposite. Not having to follow a world body would help though.
If being lean and nimble is the key I would have aussie rugby in a good place to take advantage. What would actions and advantages to being lean and nimble though?
Not much meat in this sandwich. So has BBBR officially retired from the ABs? I’d thought he might follow his partner’s lead and stay on with NZR (once he returns from overseas) for the next WC. Not the sort of luxury a country like NZ get and could have been a real boon.
A very stable group Razor is going to inherit, not a lot of change immediately. Will be really interesting to see if he goes for potential or substance in the locking department, especially if he takes this ‘big’ idea into the back row by moving Barrett to 6.
Going to be a bit of a wait in see I think, Robertson and team have a huge task and maintaining a decent win ratio while rebuilding.
Still don’t think that letting overseas players in will be great for local NZ rugby as the money overseas is big, even in the 2nd divisions.
You’d have to think a large amount of top developing players, that one day have a dream of being an All Black, would want to try and learn their trade overseas, while being paid like an All Black, but would they ever actually reach that capability in doing so? Or does NZ not have the depth anymore where they actually need to worry about players being poached en masse. The world might be happy with the players they already have?
His chat with NZR surely can’t just be some desperate plea to have Lester Richie Frizell and Ardea as options next year, he has to have his own theory that it wouldn’t spell the decline of rugby in NZ right?
If you want someone in charge of rebuilding your team, then Razor’s your man. Zero Super Rugby championships for eight years under Blackadder became seven in a row for Razor. Exciting times ahead.
Feels like a good opportunity for the Razor era to begin. A huge loss of experience with changes in the players leaving but that opens the door for fresh thinking and fresh players. One thing Crusaders have done better than most is introduce new players seamlessly. The ABs are going to need that in spades.
Probably going to be a very good era for All Blacks coming up with Razor. Hopefully not too good haha
Razor area begins and wins also . He is specialist to rebuild teams winning . There is new generation youngers and overall the U20 that Razor will use.