All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson is feeling optimistic over his team’s Rugby Championship campaign despite a rare second-place finish with just a 50 per cent winning record.
The coach lamented execution issues when reflecting on some big positives from the tournament, making his side’s biggest priority moving forward clear.
The coach also was sure to lend some context to the conversation, highlighting how this team’s new vision is only in its infancy and is trending well.
He was asked to give his assessment of the international season to date.
“When you’re in your role, you’re never satisfied – I should rephrase that into a positive; you’re always looking to improve,” Robertson said in a sit-down interview with The Breakdown.
“We’re really pleased. You can see how many opportunities we’re trying to create. We’re a creative team.
“We’ve created opportunities with being really aggressive defensively and trusting our skills on attack and we’ve done that so many times, over and over again.
“Now we’ve just got to finish, execute and trust our skills, back ourselves and we feel like we’re a moment away.”
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When asked to expand on the finishing aspect and whether that’s the biggest work-on, Robertson revealed the All Blacks had been impressing coaches in other codes with their play.
“Very much so,” Robertson replied emphatically. “Because we’ve created more than anyone else, I don’t know what the stats are overnight but the ability to get one-on-ones, our forwards, our short passing game of our tight five, they can get right to the line.
“I’ve had a couple of (rugby) league coaches ring me and say ‘mate! What are you doing with your forwards? It looks like you’re playing right at the line’, which rugby is about, you know? The ability to square people up and play on the edge or go through teams.
“That’s something we’re really proud of, that side of it. But there’s just a little bit of that game management on the other side of it.”
Game management is of course a major responsibility of any team’s No. 10, and for the All Blacks that man has – aside from the second Bledisloe Test – been Damian McKenzie.
Reactions to McKenzie’s Rugby Championship campaign have been mixed, with former All Black Carlos Spencer recently saying he sees the mercurial playmaker as more of a fullback while fellow former All Black Sir Wayne Shelford said the 29-year-old just needs more time to find his feet in the international arena.
Robertson himself admitted McKenzie’s game is one of rocks and diamonds, but was positive overall about his tenure at 10 so far.
“We know D-Mac. Two out of 10 things might be ‘oh what’s happened?’ But the other eight have been unbelievable, so we’ve just got to get him to 10. He knows that.
“Look, he’s starting to control it a little bit better, the game, own it, own the team, expectations on what’s required from the forwards and his backs. He’s getting there.
“Obviously between himself and Beauden at the moment as the two key guys, we’re really pleased with them. He’s trending, he’s trending up.”
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