Brodie Retallick has weighed in on potential All Blacks head coaches Dave Rennie and Joe Schmidt following Scott Robertson\u2019s sacking.<\/p>\n
Last week, New Zealand Rugby dropped the bombshell that Robertson had been relieved of his duties following an extensive review of the 2025 international season.<\/p>\n
The union has now begun the search for his successor, with Rennie and Schmidt among the frontrunners<\/a>, along with Highlanders boss Jamie Joseph.<\/p>\n All Blacks<\/a> legend Retallick is currently plying his trade with Japanese club Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who are led by Rennie. It\u2019s not the first time the pair have worked together, having done so during their stints with the Chiefs previously.<\/p>\n Verdict on Dave Rennie<\/p>\n Rennie\u2019s name was quickly linked with the All Blacks\u2019 head coaching role following the news of Robertson\u2019s<\/a> dismissal, and the Kobe players were quick to raise the question with their head coach, Retallick<\/a> revealed.<\/p>\n However, the experienced coach did not give much away.<\/p>\n \u201cThe boys were straight into him as soon as it was announced, asking if he is interested,\u201d the lock told Sport Nation\u2019s Millsy and Guy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether he\u2019s playing it straight bat or not, I\u2019m not too sure; there was nothing to confirm, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about what Rennie\u2019s strengths are, Retallick spoke glowingly of the veteran coach.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are multiple aspects to Rens,\u201d he began.<\/p>\n \u201cOne, he engages the community and creates a culture around the team he is with, finding links to supporters and the city, which is massive for growing your identity.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s also a man who has coached for a very long time, and he understands how he wants to play a game of rugby, and those smaller details that make a game plan come together.<\/p>\n \u201cLike all good coaches, he\u2019s also a people person; he can be relatable, have a laugh, but also will tell you when you haven\u2019t got it right.<\/p>\n \u201cWith someone with that much experience, he\u2019s obviously been around long enough that he knows what he\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Tony Brown breaks silence on All Blacks links as Springboks coach reveals key contract detail<\/a><\/p>\n Eddie Jones offers three \u2018standout\u2019 theories on Scott Robertson\u2019s sacking as he \u2018pays the price\u2019 for New Zealand Rugby\u2019s failings<\/a><\/p>\n It would be weird<\/p>\n While Schmidt has also been linked with the position, he is set to serve as the Wallabies head coach through to July this year, having taken on the top job in Australia following Eddie Jones\u2019 disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n Retallick worked with the former Ireland head coach during the latter stages of his career, with Schmidt brought into the All Blacks set-up as an assistant under Ian Foster.<\/p>\n The 109-Test cap second rower says that it would be \u2018weird\u2019 if Schmidt got the job right after working with Australia, but spoke highly of his credentials.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that they are probably very similar to be fair. Like Rens and Joe Schmidt will leave no stone unturned, they will cross every T and dot every I before the match comes along,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes as a player, you\u2019re like, just leave me alone, but they\u2019re doing it for the good of the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess it\u2019ll be a weird one if Joe were to hit him there after just coaching the Wallabies for the last 18 months or whatever it\u2019s been, but at the same time, he is another great coach that would do well.\u201d<\/p>\n