Following the confirmation that Scott Robertson has been relieved of his duties as the All Blacks head coach, we take a look at who New Zealand Rugby could turn to.
NZ Rugby chief David Kirk explained that the union reached the decision because the All Blacks weren’t on the ‘right track’ ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Robertson’s departure leaves the union searching for a successor who will need to take charge of the side in the inaugural Nations Championship as well as the tour of South Africa for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
The All Blacks’ job is a tough gig in itself, but this start is an almighty task. New Zealand Rugby won’t be short on options, particularly if their claim that they will cast a wide net is true.
We take a look at some of the high-profile candidates to fill Robertson’s void, from the likely to the outside bets to the frankly outrageous.
Front runner
Third time’s a charm, as they say, but will it be the case for the highly experienced Jamie Joseph, who is currently preparing the Highlanders for the upcoming season.
The 56-year-old has twice been overlooked for the gig, first missing out in 2020 when NZ Rugby were fielding CVs to replace the 2015 World Cup-winning boss. Ultimately, his bid failed with the union preferring the Ian Forster project and four years later, it was Robertson who was preferred.
Joseph will likely be the frontrunner in the immediate aftermath of the news for good reason. Firstly, he is contracted to NZ Rugby via the Highlanders and was tasked with coaching the All Blacks XV last year.
He is also one of the potential candidates with international experience, having led Japan through two Rugby World Cup cycles, helping the Brave Blossoms reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 2019.
A former All Black and Japan international, Joseph has experience coaching at Super Rugby level too, with the Highlanders and Sunwolves and has had a stint with the Barbarians.
There is also the added bonus that hiring Joseph could lure Tony Brown back to New Zealand shores, a coach that NZ Rugby has been eager to put on their books for a long time now.
In the mix
Widening the net and three coaches will surely be putting their names forward, namely Dave Rennie, Joe Schmidt, and Ian Foster.
The All Blacks gig isn’t often up for grabs, particularly in this manner, where the union is willing to consider several candidates with a shortlist usually drawn up and interviews conducted.
We will start with Foster. With a new board in place, the former head coach could be tempted to take the reins once again and is someone that the squad will back – proof of that being the players saving him from the sack midway through his tenure. The question that the board will have to answer is whether or not they have to go backwards in order to go forward. If so, they will then need to convince Foster that he has their backing.
Moving on to a former Wallabies boss in the form of Rennie. The ex-Chiefs boss is currently in charge of Japanese club the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, the club that Ardie Savea and Brodie Retallick are contracted to.
Finally, there is the curious case of Schmidt. He is set to wrap up with the Wallabies in July, with Les Kiss taking over the role. Schmidt is eager to step away from rugby in order to spend more time with his family and help his wife with his ill son. However, the lure of the All Blacks’ head coach job could be too great again.
Securing his services will require some compensation on NZ Rugby’s part, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and Schmidt’s CV speaks for itself. Getting an interim coach in the meantime is another option until his contract expires.
Outside bets
Looking more locally, Vern Cotter simply has to come into the conversation.
He ticks a lot of boxes that will surely be on New Zealand Rugby’s preferred checklist. He understands the local landscape and has international experience with Scotland and Fiji. Cotter is proven pedigree in both regards. He took over an underperforming Blues team and turned them into champions in one season, and has a close relationship with many of the players already in the squad.
Then there is Robertson’s successor at the Crusaders, Rob Penney. The Canterbury side’s boss endured a turbulent first season in charge of the then-Super Rugby champions but bounced back emphatically as the team reclaimed the title. He doesn’t have the international CV of Cotter, but like the Blues boss, he has coached around the world, leading the Shining Arcs in Japan, Waratahs in Australia and Munster in Ireland previously.
Planet Rugby’s James While believes that Pat Lam should also enter the conversation for the role, considering his success with Connacht and Bristol Bears. The former Blues boss doesn’t have the international experience bolstering his CV, but does know the systems in New Zealand inside and outside, and his Bears team deploys an All Blacks-esque swagger.
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Wild cards
Turning to the wild cards and the names that will certainly be raised in the conversation…
We start with Robertson’s former assistant Ronan O’Gara. The legendary Irish fly-half was highly thought of during his time with the Crusaders and was very successful during that stint. He has been tipped for a role in the Irish Rugby structures, whether that’d be as an assistant to Andy Farrell or taking on the head coach role after the Rugby World Cup.
There are major factors that will play against O’Gara, the first being that he isn’t a New Zealander. While other nations have been willing to hire foreign coaches, the All Blacks have stuck with natives, and it’s unclear when, if ever, that will change. Additionally, the Irishman’s La Rochelle have had their issues of late, and pressure is mounting on him at the French club despite his previous success in the Investec Champions Cup.
Meanwhile, former Chiefs, Maori All Blacks and All Blacks XV coach Clayton McMillan has barely warmed his seat at Munster after joining the Irish club six months ago. He enjoyed a successful stint in Waikato before departing his New Zealand shores, and like Schmidt, a compensation would likely be needed to secure his return, unless there is a clause in his contract. McMillan is an outside bet considering the quality of coaches on the longlist of candidates but again is someone who knows the structures inside and out and has a close relationship with many of the players.
His replacement at the Chiefs, Jono Gibbes, may also come into the frame and boasts a rather underrated CV. He too has vast experience abroad as he was employed at Leinster, Clermont and Ulster. His stint with La Rochelle set the foundation for O’Gara’s success, which should not be overlooked, while he also had a stint as the New Zealand U20s head coach.
Lastly, the outside bet of all outside bets; Warren Gatland. If New Zealand Rugby needs to go down the interim route, the experienced coach should be their first call. He is currently not employed full-time following a disastrous second stint with Wales, but that should not take away from the fact that he is one of the most decorated coaches in the international game.
Gats has repeatedly stated that he is eager to take on the responsibility of coaching the All Blacks, and if international experience were the top requirement, he would be the clear frontrunner. However, there are factors that don’t play in his favour, like his strained relationship with the New Zealand media, many of whom will be plotting his demise from the get-go, while his return to Wales has damaged his reputation.
There is also a notion that Gatland-ball is the antithesis of what the All Blacks are all about. He would need to convince the board that he would not be deploying that style of play that made Wales so successful during his first tenure.
Surely not
We cannot write anyone off completely, particularly because we did not envision New Zealand Rugby actually making the bold decision to dismiss their head coach, which leads us to the ‘surely not’ candidates.
Starting with current Springboks assistant coach Brown. As mentioned above, NZ Rugby have attempted to get Brown on their payroll several times over the past few years, but the former fly-half has rebuffed their advances, pledging his loyalty to Joseph. While he has served as a head coach for Otago, the Sunwolves and Highlanders in the past, Brown would surely be lined up as an assistant rather than the head honcho. Prying him away from SA Rugby will also be no easy feat with the All Blacks’ rivals reportedly eager to extend his contract, which expires in 2027, through to 2031.
What about Sir Steve Hansen? The wildly successful former head coach is currently employed at Japanese club Toyota Verblitz, a position he has held since stepping down from the All Blacks job after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The man affectionally known as ‘Shag’ would likely be welcomed back with open arms, but the 66-year-old is surely past that stage of his career. His Verblitz’s side is struggling in the Japan Rugby League One this season, after similar performances last campaign. Hiring Foster would be a step backwards to go forwards, but in the case of Hansen, it would be more akin to a giant leap.
His namesake Scott Hansen, no relation, is likely to come into the discussion too, but that could be a very short-lived debate as reports suggest that he has been a divisive figure during Robertson’s tenure. So we will leave that one there.
Finally, Moana Pasifika head coach Tana Umaga. The All Blacks great would almost immediately get the respect of the squad, but does he have the CV to warrant getting the job? Respectable, no. He was largely unsuccessful as the Blues’ head coach and was later demoted before taking on the Moana job. Perhaps a role as an assistant could work.
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