Razor Watch: Takeaways from Scott Robertson’s first All Blacks squad, captaincy and newbies

Split with All Blacks Damian McKenzie, Beauden Barrett and head coach Scott Robertson.

Finally, the time has arrived with new All Blacks head coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson announcing the first squad of his tenure yesterday following the Blues winning Super Rugby Pacific at the weekend.

Following our extensive coverage of the squad release and fan reaction, this week’s Razor Watch answers lingering questions ahead of the Test season.

What is on the All Blacks schedule?

The way teams approach their fixture planning in the middle of the year has changed in the last couple of seasons, with a match Test series making way for a two-Test series followed by a more ‘developmental’ matchup against tier two sides. This is the case for the All Blacks with two clashes against England followed by a Fiji Test before the Rugby Championship.

England is a challenging opponent for Robertson’s first two Tests but it serves as a good opportunity to take stock of where the team is at, try to get some positive results and then try to implement changes in the Fiji clash.

Robertson will have two Tests against Argentina to start the southern hemisphere’s premier tournament before a fortnight in South Africa against the world champions. By this time Razor would ideally have more answers than questions as it will be his toughest challenge at that point in his early Test career.

That sets up a run into the Bledisloe Cup against the Wallabies that the coach will know is absolutely essential to retain given the dominance over the last two decades. A sneaky Japan Test follows that before the northern tour in November where they face England, Ireland, France and Italy.

It all forms pretty much a perfect season to get Robertson going in the Test arena, with seven of the other nine countries in the top 10 facing the All Blacks in 2024.

What makes Scott Robertson a special coach and how is that a threat to England?

It is hard to think of a more highly-anticipated rookie coaching season than Robertson’s first campaign with the All Blacks.

Besides a couple of Barbarians matches, the coach has no experience at Test level but comes with a huge prestige thanks to a remarkable record with the Crusaders where he won 98 of 117 games at the club at an 83.7% win rate that included a whopping seven consecutive titles. All of which make Razor easily the most successful coach in Super Rugby history.

While he is tactically astute, Razor’s power comes in his ability to connect with players, understanding why they play the game and what makes them tick as he looks to make them better on and off the field. This works perfectly in the New Zealand context, where rugby is so culturally intertwined, and it is shown in heaps by the hoards of world-class players developed at the Crusaders under Robertson’s guidance.

Another powerful attribute of Robertson is that he is comfortable around other experts in his coaching team and happy to lean on their knowledge to help guide players. It is a team effort, after all, and when that is embodied from top to bottom, it makes for a powerful output.

So what does this mean for England? Well with Razor’s vast knowledge of the rugby ecosystem in New Zealand which includes in-depth insights on all the players and the respect that is shown towards him, there is every chance he could have this team firing out of the blocks. He is the kind of coach that will have players running through walls for him.

This spills over into the media and even fans who called for Robertson to be appointed years before he did. That is a massive advantage as he will probably have more leeway in public opinion than others, certainly compared to Ian Foster, at the very least. He must make the most of that but getting momentum early.

There is a lot of talk of England going down and stealing some wins, but it will be brutally difficult against the world’s most promising emerging coach.

All Blacks squad coverage:

All Blacks captaincy decided as Scott Robertson snubs record holder for son of Samoan legend

All Blacks squad winners and losers as Scott Robertson makes ‘tight’ captaincy call and a ‘disgraceful’ decision up front

All Blacks: The telling stats that provide clarity to Hoskins Sotutu’s snub

How the All Blacks could line up in Scott Robertson’s first Test against England

Has the right captaincy decision been made?

It is no surprise really to see Scott Barrett given the armband after the veteran served as Robertson’s trusty right-hand man for much of the golden run at the Crusaders.

Some of the reaction from fans includes disappointment around Ardie Savea missing out after he was named vice-captain alongside Jordie Barrett. There is, of course, merit in that the back-row has been a powerhouse and a leader for the All Blacks before, but the key point to consider here is the importance of coach-captain relationships, which is essentially the link between coaching staff and playing staff. So for Robertson to have someone he knows so well in this capacity makes perfect sense and is only beneficial for the side’s cohesion between the two facets of the team.

The new All Blacks skipper has had discipline issues on the field in the past, which he will have to keep under control. However, just because he has been appointed, it doesn’t mean the likes of Savea will not be a leader in the group. He will still go about his business and contribute as a member of the leadership group, as will the youngest Barrett, who makes the step up this season.

Who starts at 10 and how do the full-backs stocks influence that?

Damian McKenzie had yet another blockbuster season and is really within striking distance of that All Blacks 10 shirt. It is something a lot of fans wanted last season already but Foster stuck with Richie Mo’unga and it paid off. We know that if Robertson had his way Mo’unga would be in the mix.

But surely it is McKenzie’s time now, and the balance of the squad’s backline selection suggests he will start at 10. Beauden Barrett is listed with the Chief as a fly-half by the All Blacks but will almost certainly start at 15, considering that Stephen Perofeta is the only full-back listed there. With respect to the Blues man, if one can fit the oldest Barrett and DMAC in the same lineup, it is a no-brainer.

Perhaps if Will Jordan was fit it may have offered more temptation but we feel it’s DMAC at 10 and Barrett at 15.

Is there enough depth in the second-row?

Replacing the legendary duo of Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick was always going to be nearly impossible, and the All Blacks may already be feeling that with only three locks in Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu and Tupou Vaa’i in the squad.

Off the bat, this means Barrett won’t be spending time on the blindside flank anymore, and it makes the inspirational resurgence of Tuipulotu extremely well-timed. The duo will probably start with the promising Vaa’i coming off the bench – the Chief was good this season but could lower his error rate some more before becoming a consistent starter.

Samipeni Finau can also play lock, but he has been the best blindside this season, so the simple answer is that, no, there is not enough depth. A fourth lock would have been ideal, especially considering a call-up if someone gets injured would likely be an uncapped player who would have benefitted from time with the squad now. Sam Darry will be training as cover and perhaps he can wiggle his way in.

Which uncapped players are selections for England or Fiji?

There are five uncapped players in the squad in the form of George Bell, Pasilio Tosi, Wallace Sititi, Cortez Ratima and Billy Proctor. It is always exciting to see but just how will Razor use his new stars?

Bell’s inclusion has come as a surprise but with hooker short due to injury Robertson opted for someone he knew well but still it feels like the call-up will only be used if required against England but possibly against Fiji. Same boat for Tosi who has been solid this season and one Jason Ryan sees huge potential in but he won’t be rushed.

The other three are all pushing for the first matchday 23. Sititi has been outstanding with his ability on both sides of the ball too good to refuse. He does have depth to wade through in the back-row but his carrying ability and x-factor gives him a real chance to debut in some capacity in the England Tests.

Ratima has formed a great partnership with McKenzie at the Chiefs and could help his cause a lot. However, we think veteran TJ Perenara is the obvious start, but Ratima could get his chance off the bench depending on where the coaches see him in relation to Finlay Christie.

Finally, Proctor had an electric season for the ‘Canes and could seriously challenge Rieko Ioane for the 13 shirt. It would be bold to start him straight out against England, meaning Fiji is probably the Wellington man’s chance, but his inclusion put eyes on Ioane to perform.