All Blacks can copy Black Ferns coaching shake-up to bounce back in 2027 – Alice Soper
THE FACTS
A late coaching change in the lead-up to a Rugby World Cup – something women’s rugby fans here in Aotearoa know all too well. While the men’s rugby world reels from the news of Scott Robertson’s departure, the All Blacks should draw inspiration from another team in black.
The Black Ferns are masters of a crisis-tunity, turning misfortune into silverware at a phenomenal rate. There are more than a couple of things the men in the game could learn from our wāhine.
First things first, breathe out.
The All Blacks are at an advantage because the ending of Scott Robertson’s contract is much cleaner than the 2022 Black Ferns switch-out. No players have made public statements via their social media, no additional reviews have been triggered. No one is expecting a public apology from New Zealand Rugby. The team can get on with appointing the new coach, without having to try to manage the movements of the past one.
Intervention can be a positive, particularly if a coach has lost the confidence of their players. The Black Ferns know this best, going from an abysmal northern tour at the end of 2021 to World Cup winners in 2022.
The Black Ferns show that you don’t even need a coach ready to roll in when the vacancy arises. Sir Wayne Smith’s appointment would have been on few people’s radar when the results of the Black Ferns environmental review dropped.
Fresh eyes, fresh ideas, fresh selections could be just the reset the All Blacks need to get them back on track for Rugby World Cup 2027.
Smith debuted 12 Black Ferns, eventually picking five of them for his World Cup squad. Perhaps the All Blacks would benefit from the same sort of shake-up. Smith built his game plan around New Zealand rugby at its best, championing freedom of expression, throwing the outrageous offload and launching attacks from anywhere on the pitch. Tell me that isn’t rugby all New Zealand fans are craving.
The system at large could learn from our women that game-changing talent is waiting outside their existing pathways. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was famously a netballer before she was recruited into our sevens set-up. She’s far from the only cross-code talent. World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year, Braxton Sorensen-McGee, is just the latest example: having picked up her elusive footwork from touch, she tackles with power well outside her weight class thanks to league.
Aside from learning from the Black Ferns’ wins, the All Blacks need to learn from their defeats. Their opposition certainly has. Following their 2022 example to appoint another former All Blacks coach known for his rugby IQ, John Mitchell was the key to finally unlock a World Cup final win for the Red Roses. Could Mitchell’s redemption come full circle, called up to coach the All Blacks at another World Cup in Australia?
Fairy tale aside, the All Blacks would benefit from thinking outside the box with their next appointment. They must also park the notion that a head coach shouldn’t get stuck into the coaching. Allan Bunting’s appointment as overseer of the Black Ferns coaching team failed to get the results at the last World Cup. Ian Foster’s term only got better when he took responsibility for the backs. The football manager experiment in our set-ups must come to an end.
To All Blacks fans, I say keep your chin up. As a Black Ferns fan, I have seen worse in the lead-up to World Cups. There’s plenty you could learn from the women’s team’s resilience, but remember too who you are. A team that is never more dangerous than when folks start to write them off.
Alice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women’s sports.