The Razor period has not began with the transformational rugby and dramatic performances many had been forecasting.
Constructed because the Messiah who was going to liberate the All Blacks from their supposedly predictable attacking patterns of the final decade or so, Robertson has to this point presided over two scratchy and, in reality, lucky wins over England, a predictable romp in opposition to a travel-weary Fijian aspect and a stunning house loss to the Pumas.
This isn’t the way it was purported to be – both when it comes to outcomes or efficiency and the 38-30 loss to Argentina, performed with 8,000 empty seats within the stadium, has left questions hanging over not simply the brand new teaching regime, however the general well being of New Zealand rugby.
A house check in opposition to Argentina was purported to be a comparatively mushy alternative for the All Blacks to place their bumpy begin to 2024 behind them, present that that they had come to grips with the brand new concepts of the teaching group and lay down a big marker that mentioned they had been able to storm the Rugby Championship.
However after 80 minutes, there was solely extra confusion and uncertainty about the place this All Blacks group is heading, how they’re attempting to play and what kind of teaching tenure Robertson goes to preside over.
The All Blacks spent lengthy intervals enjoying in their very own territory in opposition to the Pumas. Their primary ability execution was missing in accuracy, their recreation administration was erratic and as soon as once more, their lineout fell aside albeit this time it was solely within the final 20 minutes after that they had taken off Codie Taylor and changed him at hooker with Asafo Aumua.
The forwards lacked ball carrying punch and whereas the sort out execution was excessive, there have been few dominant hits to derail Argentina’s momentum.
The regulation win and coming of age second that everybody thought they might see in Wellington didn’t occur and the unanimous view is that the All Blacks of 2024 have proven little innovation.
They’ve constructed no actual sense of id or laid down a powerful marker about what kind of rugby they’re attempting to play.
Few issues frustrate a coach greater than gamers not delivering to temporary, and Robertson all however mentioned after the defeat to Argentina that the gameplan dreamed up in coaching was not the one placed on the park.
4 assessments into the brand new period and everyone seems to be ready to see one thing they like or lights a fireplace inside them. As a substitute, the rugby has been a mad mixture of poor exit methods, wild kicks to nobody a malfunctioning lineout and all the pieces the All Blacks have performed has been riddled with primary errors of their move and catch.
Removed from bringing the promised revolution, Robertson has made half the nation nostalgic for his teaching predecessors to be returned to put up as a result of not less than, by the top of their tenure, the All Blacks had been enjoying a easy, direct and efficient model of rugby that was straightforward to grasp.
Robertson is clearly as pissed off because the New Zealand public. He’s needed to bang the identical drum 3 times now about poor ability execution and in three of his 4 assessments he’s needed to clarify to the media that his gamers didn’t observe the gameplan they had been purported to.
Few issues frustrate a coach greater than gamers not delivering to temporary, and Robertson all however mentioned after the defeat to Argentina that the gameplan dreamed up in coaching was not the one placed on the park.
“We had moments,” mentioned Robertson the day after the All Blacks opened their Rugby Championship marketing campaign with what was solely their third house defeat within the historical past of the competitors.
Watch the highlights proper now! https://t.co/5RoumPSce1
— Sky Sports activities Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) August 10, 2024
“The primary 20, you thought, ‘right here we go’. How did we find yourself shedding that recreation? A few skillset errors and a little bit of game-management stuff, and we may have dealt [better] with a little bit of the frustration.”
Of explicit focus in regard to the untidy recreation administration, was the All Blacks contestable kicking technique which was poorly executed and overdone.
It performed straight into Argentina’s arms, giving them the ball again in locations the place they wished it, and it even straight delivered a attempt simply earlier than half-time when Sevu Reece patted again a clearance kick by Damian McKenzie that went to nobody.
With an absence of managed and astute recreation administration, and a wildly erratic kicking technique have been recognized as two of the largest contributors to the defeat, questions have inevitably arisen concerning the short-term way forward for McKenzie within the All Blacks No 10 jersey.
“I’m not going to clean that over,” Robertson mentioned of his aspect’s kicking technique and execution.
“We did some actually good things in opposition to England across the kicking recreation and the contestable excessive ball battle. We didn’t do this a part of it final evening and it price us in the long run.
“The faucet-back ball and unstructured stuff we fed them, that’s the half that hurts. They took these alternatives and managed the clock within the final 10 minutes, so nicely performed to Pablo and his crew.”
With an absence of managed and astute recreation administration, and a wildly erratic kicking technique have been recognized as two of the largest contributors to the defeat, questions have inevitably arisen concerning the short-term way forward for McKenzie within the All Blacks No 10 jersey.
The Chiefs maestro has began all 4 assessments of 2024 at No 10 and hasn’t but delivered something that will rank as commanding or authoritative.
He’s had a couple of sometimes sensible particular person moments, the place his velocity has taken him previous defenders and made holes for others, and a few brilliantly executed cross-kicks have arrange tries.
And his work underneath the excessive ball within the backfield has been persistently courageous and correct. McKenzie, although, hasn’t but given any sense that he’s constructing in direction of changing into the kind of strategic basic the All Blacks need, or if he’s, he’s doing it nearly imperceptibly.
His kicking out of hand has lacked accuracy and in opposition to Argentina, the All Blacks couldn’t discover an efficient approach to exit their very own 22, and so McKenzie has to hold the can for an excessive amount of rugby being performed within the unsuitable a part of the sector.
However Robertson seems to be decided to make sure everybody is aware of McKenzie has his full help.
Robertson is acutely aware how the earlier All Blacks regime may by no means commit themselves to backing Richie Mo’unga. The previous Crusaders No 10 was out and in of the position all through the final World Cup cycle – continuously being changed by Beauden Barrett and it dented his confidence.
“Damian has some ‘helluva’ moments, doesn’t he?,” proffered Robertson. “He had some class touches with the chip kick and his quick passing recreation is actually good,” Robertson mentioned. “He’ll develop as a recreation supervisor. That’s the largest space. You’ve received to again him. He’s studying alongside the best way. Plainly the choice has been made to play the lengthy recreation with McKenzie and hold choosing him and hold publicly backing him, not fairly no matter how he performs, however actually so long as there’s a cheap foundation to say he’s creating in step with expectation.
And it is because Robertson believes that it’s a course of constructing a global No 10. He mentioned that a lot after the primary check victory in opposition to England when among the English media wished to know his ideas about Marcus Smith.
“There’s loads in your plate and it takes time to grasp check footy and the stress of it,” Robertson mentioned of the place.
“Historical past reveals that, , it’s time on the sector and your toes studying a few classes.”
Robertson can also be acutely aware, too, how the earlier All Blacks regime may by no means commit themselves to backing Richie Mo’unga.
The previous Crusaders No 10 was out and in of the position all through the final World Cup cycle – continuously being changed by Beauden Barrett and it dented his confidence.
It was solely halfway via 2022 that Mo’unga gained the complete help of former All Blacks coach Ian Foster and was persistently picked within the position, and Robertson clearly doesn’t wish to undergo one thing comparable with McKenzie.
The All Blacks are attempting to foster competitors for locations and Robertson has proven that by making choice modifications similar to dropping Rieko Ioane, however there appears to be an argument that No 10 is off limits on the premise it could seemingly show counter productive to stress McKenzie via the concern of being axed.
McKenzie has spent most of his new profession at fly-half behind a pack that has been underneath stress and no matter modifications Robertson makes looking for rebuilding his All Blacks, it’s unlikely that may embrace switching out his chosen No 10.
And so too would it not be unfair to attribute an excessive amount of blame on the shortage of cohesion up to now at McKenzie’s door regardless of him being the tactical basic.
The larger challenge for the All Blacks has been the shortage of high quality possession produced by the forwards and their lack of ability to construct the crucial momentum that affords the decision-makers the time and area they should pull the strings.
McKenzie has spent most of his new profession at fly-half behind a pack that has been underneath stress and no matter modifications Robertson makes looking for rebuilding his All Blacks, it’s unlikely that may embrace switching out his chosen No 10.
