Former All Blacks loose forward Murray Mexted says that Scott Robertson and his coaching team have been \u2018buggering around\u2019 for two years and hopes that they can restore the side\u2019s credibility.<\/p>\n
While the 72-year-old admits that the international game is more competitive nowadays, it has led to more defeats for New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Two years of buggering around<\/p>\n
The ex-back rower points to the amount of experimentation and changes in the team from match to match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve spent two years buggering around, and maybe we\u2019ve needed that,\u201d Mexted<\/a> said on the DSPN<\/a> podcast with Martin Devlin.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m talking about the coaches and selectors of this All Blacks<\/a> team. It has been two years of experimentation, and that\u2019s tarnished our image in many respects because it\u2019s been very inconsistent.<\/p>\n \u201cI do appreciate that performances these days are more fickle, there\u2019s higher scoring, unexpected losses and unpredictable results, but there\u2019s still some fundamentals that need to be adhered to if you\u2019re going to have a successful team.\u201d<\/p>\n For over a century, the All Blacks maintained a ridiculous win rate of over 80 per cent, but in recent times, New Zealand has seen that record slip somewhat.<\/p>\n In Robertson\u2019s first year in charge, the side won 10 of their 14 Test matches, a win rate of 71% and in 2025, that marginally improved to 77% after losing just three of their 13 games.<\/p>\n All Blacks star reveals what caught him \u2018off guard\u2019 after challenging 2025 campaign<\/a><\/p>\n All Blacks need to be consistent<\/p>\n Mexted believes that this is partly due to the lack of international experience of Robertson and his coaching staff. However, he hopes that the departures of Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland during this period will translate into better results with Robertson now operating with the assistant coaches whom he was successful with at the Crusaders: Jason Ryan and Scott Hansen.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve often said that this All Blacks history is enormous to have won 80% of matches over a hundred years is absolutely fantastic, and that\u2019s what it was when Razor took over,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Razor took over with a whole bunch of coaches and selectors, many of whom didn\u2019t have the experience of coaching at that level and over the last two years, there\u2019s been a bit of tossing and turning, and I\u2019m not even sure how many permanent coaching staff they have at the moment, but they\u2019ve certainly narrowed down the field.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019ve been a lot that are no longer with the All Black team for one reason or another, and it\u2019s sort of almost settled into the threesome that Razor had prior to becoming the All Black coach \u2013 so maybe we\u2019ll have more stability from now on, I certainly hope.<\/p>\n All Blacks are \u2018struggling\u2019 but Springboks legend warns of \u2018dangerous\u2019 mindset for \u2018tough\u2019 Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry Series<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat would be my number one wish for this team over the next couple of years: to restore the credibility and the winning mantra that the All Black team has, that would be number one \u2013 restore what we have been to the rugby world. To do that, you\u2019ve got to perform consistently whether it\u2019s home or away.\u201d<\/p>\n The All Blacks kick off 2025 with a clash against France in Christchurch in the newly created Nations Championship before facing off against Italy and Ireland.<\/p>\n That will be followed by the start of Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry Tour with the side facing the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls prior to the first Test match against the Springboks at Ellis Park.<\/p>\n They will face the Lions in the final game against a URC franchise before two more Tests against South Africa in Cape Town and at the FNB Stadium, with the series concluding at an international venue.<\/p>\n Robertson\u2019s charges will then play back-to-back Bledisloe Cup Tests against the Wallabies before embarking on their away leg of the Nations Championship with meetings against Scotland, Wales and England.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n