SCOTT ROBERTSON

The new All Blacks head coach awaits the arrival of England on tour before embarking on a first Rugby Championship. We tune into his method and mindset...

- Campbell Burnes

FOR THE first time in 20 years, the All Blacks have a brand-new coaching direction. So Campbell Burnes thought it was high time to catch up with head coach Scott Robertson, who has a four-year mandate with the men in black. Here’s what the new boss had to say…

RW: It’s been well over a year since you were named All Blacks coach, so I guess it feels like a long lead-in and you can’t wait to get on the field with the team?

SR: “Yes, it’s been a while but it’s great to have the time to get the right people, the experts, around you, that support. Those off the field are as important as on the field. You spend time getting to know people, build relationships, how things work. Can we evolve those systems and build trust? 

New Zealand Rugby is a big organisation, a couple of hundred people, and there’s a lot of off-field obligations, especially as a head coach, around connection with global partners. My mindset is to win both on and off the field so that we are a strong professional sporting organisation.

Tamati Ellison was the last of your coaching group announced, so he will do the contact skills and breakdown?

“Yes, he’ll do our contact work, our on-ground work. He’s belted, so he knows his way around a mat and a rugby field. He’s brilliant and we think it’s a real point of difference for us. He played multiple positions and coaches both sides of the ball. He’s trained in that contact side of things. That’s a really important area for us. We’ve got two on defence, himself and Scott Hansen.