Imagine being fired from your dream job before you even start, and the team you were hired to lead is suddenly thrown into complete disarray. That's the reality facing New Zealand Rugby right now, and former Australian coach Matt Williams isn't exactly shedding tears. He believes the All Blacks are in a "mess" following what he calls the "exceptionally harsh" treatment of Scott Robertson, their soon-to-be-ex head coach. But is it really that simple?
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has made the monumental decision to terminate Robertson's contract a mere 18 months into his four-year tenure, sparking a frantic search for a replacement with the Rugby World Cup looming large on the horizon. This is a seismic event, especially considering the All Blacks' historical dominance in the sport. To put it mildly, it's unprecedented.
Williams, who boasts an impressive coaching resume with stints at the Waratahs, Leinster, and Scotland, isn't hiding his schadenfreude. "It’s great to see the Kiwis in a mess, isn’t it?" he gleefully quipped, highlighting the intense pressure cooker environment of New Zealand rugby.
"It's nuts what's happening in New Zealand, it is pretty much unprecedented," Williams elaborated on Off The Ball. He suggests that player power might be at the heart of the issue. "What the rumour is… some players said that if he is the coach, we’re not playing." This begs the question: Could player discontent truly derail a coach's career, especially with a World Cup on the line? It seems almost unfathomable that players would abandon their team, their legacy, and their shot at rugby immortality over a coaching appointment. But here's where it gets controversial...
Williams argues that the pressure on the All Blacks coach is relentless. "New Zealand’s a very, very tough place to be the head coach, they are never happy unless you win every game.” He points out that NZR has traditionally favored internal appointments, but Robertson represented a break from that tradition.
Robertson's vision, according to Williams, was a four-year plan to cultivate depth, aiming for four quality players in every position before the next World Cup. "Coaching an international team is a different planet to coaching a club side and Robbo’s four-year plan was to have four quality players in every position before the next World Cup." But this developmental approach, while strategically sound, can lead to short-term sacrifices and potential dips in performance. And this is the part most people miss...
Williams believes Robertson's dismissal is "exceptionally harsh," especially given what he perceives as a decline in the overall quality of New Zealand players. "I don’t think this is a great era of New Zealand players. All the New Zealand journos saying: ‘No one respects us anymore, we’re not the best’. They’re blaming the coach." Is it fair to scapegoat the coach for broader issues within the team or the national rugby system? This is a point that could spark differing opinions!
He contrasts the All Blacks' situation with that of South Africa, whom he considers the best team in the world. "South Africa are better than anyone on the planet, there’s not much between the next five teams – now they can’t cope with that answer." According to Williams, NZR's response to this perceived decline is to "sack the coach and they’re going to bring in someone else.”
So, who are the potential candidates to fill this suddenly vacant and intensely scrutinized role? The All Blacks' next Test is in July, so NZR needs to act swiftly. Jamie Joseph is currently considered the frontrunner, with Joe Schmidt also heavily in the mix. Other names, including Irishman Ronan O’Gara, have been mentioned, but Williams believes the job will ultimately go to a New Zealander.
"I’m not speaking against Ronan at all, he’s done a fabulous job at La Rochelle, but he’s not in that conversation over there,” he said. He believes Joseph is the most likely choice, potentially with Wayne Smith in a mentoring role before Joseph fully takes the reins. There's also speculation about Joe Schmidt joining the coaching staff.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Williams suggests that if Joseph is appointed, Tony Brown might leave his position with South Africa to return to New Zealand. "If they appointed Joseph, there is a strong feeling that Tony Brown would leave the Boks and come back. Now they would have to break contracts to do that." The coaching carousel is spinning wildly!
Williams holds Wayne Smith in high regard, citing his transformative work with the New Zealand women's national team before their World Cup victory. "Wayne Smith is right up there with the best rugby brains I’ve ever met... They brought in Wayne and he brought in some people around, and they were absolutely fantastic for the home World Cup four years ago." Whether Smith is willing or even asked to take on a role remains to be seen.
The All Blacks' coaching drama is far from over. The stakes are incredibly high, and the pressure on whoever takes the job will be immense. Will NZR make the right choice? And more importantly, was Robertson's dismissal truly justified, or was he made a scapegoat for deeper systemic issues? What do you think? Is this a crisis of coaching, of player power, or something else entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
