Clayton McMillan’s overseas stint is the path Scott Robertson should have taken

Saturday, 1 March 2025

Clayton McMillan says he, and a host of others in the game, knew he was always planning on leaving the Chiefs after his current contract expired in 2026.

OPINION: The late Māori All Blacks kaumatua Luke Crawford loved Munster.

He once joked to The Post that the people were “the Māori of Ireland”, on account of their strong sense of identity, fierce pride and hospitality.

In that sense Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan, who will leave the Chiefs to join Munster at the end of Super Rugby Pacific, has chosen wisely.

But picking the right destination for an overseas stint is just one element in the bigger picture - McMillan’s move is also part of what will be a well-considered plan to be put himself in the best position to go for the All Blacks job down the track.

He’s certainly not guaranteed success at Munster but he is certain of being taken out of his comfort zone - and that’s where his development is going to be accelerated.

When he comes back to New Zealand, either for a crack at the All Blacks job or another opportunity, the 50-year-old is going to be a better coach than he is this year, even if he gets his hands on the Super Rugby title.

That’s not so much about the rugby side of things, but everything that goes with shifting to the other side of world.

Of course, there will be differences in the style of rugby encounters in Europe, and the type of athlete McMillan coaches at Munster, that will improve his overall rugby knowledge.

But the move will be as much about testing McMillan’s ability to adapt to new circumstances and deal with the new set of expectations that await him.

Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan is heading to Ireland later this year.

Make no mistake, while the Munster fans (and the odd ex-player with a media gig) are welcoming, they will have high hopes that McMillan is going to deliver for them - and they will let him know if he doesn’t.

Munster, after all, were coached by double world champions Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber not so long ago, and have a proud record in Europe (they won the United Rugby Championship in 2022-2023).

McMillan is deservedly well respected here, but he won’t be well known in Ireland and he will have to earn his stripes again.

It will be an experience that is missing from All Blacks coach Scott Robertson’s resume.

Crusaders fans will chafe at this, but from a coaching point of view there was a diminishing set of returns for Robertson from those seven Super Rugby triumphs.

All Blacks Scott Robertson experienced a steep learning curve during his first year in charge.

Was their massive growth in his craft in championships five, six and seven?

Probably not. In fact, the run of uninterrupted success clearly didn’t prepare him that well for the enormity of the All Blacks job and the level of scrutiny, with every man and his dog picking over every decision.

The L plates showed at times last year, on and off the field, and that might have not been so apparent had Robertson exited New Zealand after three championships and accumulated some scar tissue overseas for a club that didn’t have a Sam Whitelock or Richie Mo’unga.

This doesn’t mean that Robertson can’t develop into a great All Blacks coach - of course he can.

But it does mean that New Zealand Rugby needs to take a hard look at the best route into the All Blacks hot seat.

McMillan - like Jamie Joseph before him - has done the smart thing. If the stars line up at some point in the future and takes a run at the job, he’ll be readier for it than he ever will be by staying at the Chiefs.