All Blacks coach Scott Robertson’s tumultuous tenure was full of cracks
Thursday, 15 January 2026
ANALYSIS: Scott Robertson is out the door, effectively sacked halfway through what was supposed to be at least a four-year gig as All Blacks coach.
New Zealand Rugby’s decision, confirmed on Thursday, is a mighty bombshell less than two years out from the Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Indeed, how did it come to this?
How did the man renowned for creating a winning culture, who was seen as somewhat of a saviour after guiding the Crusaders to seven Super Rugby crowns in as many years and replacing the much maligned Ian Foster, fall flat on his face in the job he unsuccessfully applied for in 2019?
What’s clear is there were cracks in Robertson’s tenure, ones which became too hard to ignore as his time in the hot seat went on.
An assistant bites the dust
The first red flag indicating trouble was brewing behind the scenes came with Leon MacDonald’s departure halfway through the Rugby Championship in 2024.
Remarkably, not even two months had passed since a smiling MacDonald stood alongside Robertson and fellow assistants Jason Ryan, Scott Hansen and Jason Holland at Christchurch’s convention centre, where Robertson’s much-hyped first squad was unveiled.
Despite winning the 2017 Super Rugby title together at the Crusaders, It was sold by New Zealand Rugby and the All Blacks as a clash in coaching styles.
At a media stand up outside the same convention centre on August 22, 2024, Robertson said he and MacDonald had been having “honest conversations with each other for a little while”.
“As coaches, we have differing views and both agreed it wasn’t working.”
However, it’s understood MacDonald, who now coaches in Japan and hasn’t spoken about his All Blacks exit, was unhappy taking a back-seat role to Scott Hansen, Robertson’s right-hand man.
Having worked part-time as an assistant in 2024, former Crusaders assistant Tamati Ellison was promoted to a fulltime role after MacDonald quit.
A haka divides
More division became apparent in the aftermath of departing All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara’s controversial haka during the 2024 northern tour.
Perenara slipped a message of support for protests surrounding the Treaty of Waitangi hīkoi into the haka ahead of the Italy fixture, before some players posed with a Tino Rangatiratanga flag after the match.
While Robertson said Perenara had discussed the tweak to the haka with management, it’s understood a number of players and coaches were unaware Perenara planned to include a political message, ruffling feathers among the playing group, as well as New Zealand Rugby.
A record loss
Robertson looked like he’d seen a ghost in the aftermath of the All Blacks’ record 43-10 pasting at the hands of South Africa last September.
The hiding in Wellington marked the team’s worst loss in history, surpassing the 35-7 loss to the Springboks ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
Alarmingly, as the Springboks piled on the points down the stretch, the All Blacks showed little fight and were essentially trampled by a ruthless opponent.
The All Blacks would win five of their remaining six tests in 2025. However, their lack of progress two years into Robertson’s tenure was overwhelmingly obvious, particularly in regards to their dysfunctional attack.
Another assistant coach bites the dust
Whispers of a disconnect between Robertson and Jason Holland had been growing louder before the latter’s departure was confirmed last October.
Holland continued as the team’s set piece attack and backs coach for the northern tour, with his departure sold as Holland feeling it was “right for me to step away from this role and look ahead”.
It begs the question: Who leaves a plum assistant coaching role with the All Blacks less than two years out from a World Cup to be an assistant coach with the Hurricanes, a team he was in charge of before joining Robertson?
Almost certainly not someone in a happy place.
Regardless, in what was shades of Foster axing assistants Brad Mooar and John Plumtree in 2022, Robertson was down two assistants, further bringing his regime under the spotlight.
Unhappy troops
To think Robertson went into the job renowned for his ability to connect with players and coaches.
Yet, on top of losing two assistants, reports emerged of players being unhappy with the direction of the team last December, after the team came up short of a Grand Slam.
The resulting internal review painted a grim picture of the coaching set up, culture and environment, putting immense heat on New Zealand Rugby ahead of what shapes as a crunch 2026 season, highlighted by three-match tour of South Africa (plus one game at a TBC venue).
Led by NZR chairman David Kirk, they didn’t muck around after the previous hierarchy dragged the chain with Foster.
The writing was on the wall for a “gutted” Robertson. His dream job, the one he so vocally campaigned for, prematurely gone.
His record: 27 matches, 20 wins, seven losses.