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Scott Robertson will take over as All Blacks coach after the Rugby World Cup
Listen to Jeff Wilson’s interview on The Podium below:
Following the appointment of a new coach, the All Blacks will face a month of tough talks, but once the drama is over they will have to turn their attention to the Rugby World Cup, says former All Black rugby pundit Jeff Wilson. say.
Scott Robertson was named as the next All Blacks coach on Tuesday, to take over after the Rugby World Cup. His appointment comes after weeks of speculation, and after current coach Ian Foster quashed the process before saying he would not be eligible for reappointment.
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Sky Sport commentator Jeff Wilson said players need to go out and play their best rugby to prove they belong in a Robertson coached All Blacks team.
Wilson told The Podium podcast that the next five to six weeks will be tough for Foster due to “some tough conversations going on about the future,” but Foster will try to get the best out of the players at the Rugby Championship and his All Blacks coaching career “at a peak”.
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Wilson hopes players and coaches will be able to enjoy the game and the environment once “the noise and some responsibilities” have been dealt with. But the Sky Sport commentator spoke to Foster a few weeks ago and said he’s in a good place.
“I think a weight has been lifted from him [Foster’s] shoulders,” said Wilson.
“But there’s always pressure on the All Blacks…as a player and as a coach.”
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All Blacks head coach Ian Foster will want to end his career on a “high” with a World Cup win.
One question that remains is whether players will still have jobs after the Rugby World Cup and under Robertson’s management team. As a former player, Wilson said it’s up to the athletes to play their best rugby, no matter who the coach is, and prove they deserve to be on the pitch.
“As a player, it’s your responsibility to go out and be the best player you can be at every level,” he said.
“The only thing you can control as an athlete is how you get into an environment, the form you show… you take away the doubt of whether or not you should be an All Black again.
“If you keep performing and being the best you can be, the coach isn’t really part of the conversation because you’ve earned the right to be an All Black.”
Although it has been a difficult three years for the All Blacks and rugby due to Covid, the side are still in the top three in the world, Wilson said.
“They are able to go to the Rugby World Cup… and win. Are they favourites? No. Are they second favourite? Probably not. But on any given day, the All Blacks can win,” he said.
“I don’t think we should rule out being World Cup champions at the end of the year and that’s what Scott Robertson inherits.”
Hear more from Jeff Wilson on The Breakdown, 7.30pm on Sky Sport, Sunday night.