All Blacks: Winners and losers from Scott Robertson’s shock coaching exit – Alex Powell
THE FACTS
Who stands to gain, and who will suffer after Scott Robertson’s shock departure as All Blacks head coach:
WINNER: Ardie Savea
Whether you want to call it “player power” or not, Ardie Savea has got his way.
As first reported by the Herald, Savea is understood to have been seriously considering his future within the All Blacks, unless change of some sort was made to the coaching group.
And while it was expected that Robertson’s assistant, Scott Hansen, would be the one to make way, New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) board has decided that wholesale change was the only option.
To his credit, NZR chairman David Kirk outlined that Robertson’s departure was about much more than player dissatisfaction, and instead the fact that the team wasn’t on a trajectory to win the 2027 World Cup.
But such is Savea’s standing within the game, and within the All Blacks, that any hint of doubt on his part carried enough weight to instigate change.
As and when a new coach is appointed, and by the time he returns from his Japanese sabbatical Savea will do so to a new coaching regime, and could even find himself as All Blacks captain.
LOSER: Scott Barrett
Speaking of which, serious questions will now be asked over Scott Barrett if Robertson is no longer the coach.
At the Crusaders, Barrett’s captaincy saw him as the embodiment of his coach’s philosophy, and stood as the perfect vessel to communicate that into the playing group.
Of the seven titles in seven years in red and black, Barrett was Crusaders captain for three of them. (Codie Taylor lifted the trophy in 2020 thanks to injury.)
However, when Barrett fronted media during his first series as skipper – against England in 2024 – an admission that “I don’t think I’ll ever feel comfortable in the role naturally” spoke volumes.
Despite all the success in Super Rugby, Barrett never appeared to be the same leader for his country as he was for his club.
What’s more, there’s now a very real argument to make that Barrett has been overtaken as a lock, with the pair of Tupou Vaa’i and Fabian Holland making strides in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
And with Barrett to miss Super Rugby 2026 as his non-playing sabbatical, the 32-year-old could face a fight to even make the All Blacks’ best XV this year.
WINNER: David Kirk
When it was announced that the All Blacks had made the unprecedented step to remove a coach mid-term, NZ Rugby needed a strong figure to stand at the front of the pack.
In chairman, David Kirk, it got just that. Still relatively new to his job after coming on board in the wake of 2024’s governance crisis, Kirk fronted media - and a considerable amount of media at that - to convey NZR’s messaging as to why the call had been made.
He was concise, he was eloquent, and, for the most part, answered every question put forward to him.
At a time when the national union faces myriad challenges both on and off the field, Robertson’s departure showed that, at the very least, the right person will lead NZR.
LOSER: Scott Hansen
While NZR’s own messaging was that Robertson is the only coach vacating his post, it’s hard to see a world where assistant Scott Hansen also survives.
Robertson and Hansen have been joined at the hip since the Crusaders, where they formed a formidable duo.
In black, though, those results were not replicated. Across the board, there was a widespread understanding that too many voices were present in the All Blacks’ coaching group, leading to confusion and oversaturation amongst the players.
On last year’s northern tour, Robertson admitted that Hansen was effectively the head coach in terms of rugby, while he himself handled the team’s culture. Those remarks were hastily walked back by Robertson once published by the Herald.
What’s more, Hansen’s involvement in the team is understood to have contributed to the departure of previous assistants Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland.
One potential saving grace could come in the form of Jamie Joseph - if he’s appointed as Robertson’s successor.
Hansen was part of Joseph’s Japan set-up, and could be thrown a lifeline by his former boss.
However, with a potential clean slate on offer, NZ Rugby could be forced to dip into itscoffers to see Robertson’s assistants also follow him out the door.
WINNER: Razor’s rejects
It’s become very clear that some players just did not gel with what the Robertson regime was doing.
The likes of Rieko Ioane and Dalton Papali’i both started 2024 as All Blacks regulars, but made way as Robertson’s tenure wore on.
Now with a fresh start, though, the door is open for players to work their way back into contention.
Papali’i in particular is understood to have been very impressive – on and off the field – for the All Blacks XV last year.
Ioane will return to New Zealand after a stint with Irish side Leinster that we’ve already seen to be beneficial for a player like Jordie Barrett.
Throw in names like Stephen Perofeta, Ethan Blackadder, David Havili, Braydon Ennor, Timoci Tavatavanawai – who all played under Robertson but found themselves on the outer – and the All Blacks will have incredible playing stocks for the new coach to take charge of.
LOSER: Will Jordan
Is he a fullback? Or is he a wing? That will be one of the first questions for the new All Blacks coach to answer.
Make no mistake, Jordan is one of the best attacking weapons at the All Blacks’ disposal.
But after not putting a foot wrong as a winger under Ian Foster, Robertson moving him to fullback coincided with law changes that have left Jordan at times appearing toothless.
The All Blacks won’t have any shortages of options to play fullback. Ruben Love in particular has made the most of his opportunities in the No 15 jersey, while Jordie Barrett could find a new home in his old role, given the blossoming combination between Quinn Tupaea and Leicester Fainga’anuku in midfield.
Like Jeff Wilson before him, Jordan’s wishes to play fullback might have to take a back seat to what the team actually needs, and he may have to return to the wing as the All Blacks build to 2027.
WINNER: Scott Robertson
For so many reasons stipulated over the last few days, it just didn’t work.
All the promise that had been seen with Canterbury, the Crusaders and even the New Zealand Under-20 side just never arrived on the biggest stage.
But as hard as it was, to make the call to pull the pin now was probably the right thing to do, all things considered.
For now, Robertson will be hurting. This was a job he craved, having fallen short in 2019, and been left on tenterhooks in 2022, before finally getting the nod a year later.
In the short term, the Herald understands the terms of Robertson’s severance mean he cannot immediately join another side until 2027 at the earliest. On top of that, he walks away with what’s also understood to be a seven-figure payout.
A club side in Europe – namely in France where he played after leaving New Zealand – or Japan will almost certainly have Robertson at the top of its wishlist as and when a new coach is needed, perhaps with an eye to working back towards test rugby.
In his own words, this was the best thing for all parties.
LOSER: Mark Robinson
As of right now, it’s hard to gauge how history will remember the tenure of former chief executive Mark Robinson.
Tumultuous might be the word that is used to describe it.
Robinson is understood to have been among the central figures in the process that saw Ian Foster out of a job before a ball was kicked in 2023, with Robertson – his former teammate - installed in his place.
Throw in the calamity with NZR’s governance crisis, as well as the saga that eventually saw American investment firm Silver Lake acquire part of the game in New Zealand, and the Robinson era will hardly stand out among the game’s most prosperous periods.
To his credit, Robinson was forced to navigate NZR through a global pandemic - something his predecessors cannot say - but the results now speak for themselves after he left in December.
Robertson’s exit as All Blacks coach now appears to be the final nail in a coffin that was already shut.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.