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Live sport on SN this weekendTony Johnson: How the Razor gamble unravelled & why NZR finally acted
Tony Johnson • January 16th, 2026 11:38 am
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson walks from the field after their loss | Marty Melville / Photosport
The surfer that he is, Scott Robertson rode a wave of popular opinion into the All Black job.
While traditionalists might have felt some discomfort about the manner in which Razor had made public his aspirations while Ian Foster was still in the job - along the lines of 'I need to know what's happening because I'm getting offers from overseas' - let's remember he had strong public backing and his appointment, in the end, felt like a formality.
What people were expecting was a brave new world - minus the breakdancing, perhaps - but there was a sense that after two years of successional coaching appointments, maybe it was time for something different? Something bold and innovative.
We didn't get those things, did we?
It wasn't that bold, it wasn't really innovative and, by All Black standards, it wasn't successful enough.
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What was different was the way in which the coaching structure was set up; Razor at the head almost like a football manager in charge, above all, of team culture, initially overseeing a group of coaches each with a defined unit within the team.
It was a novel approach, but it didn't take long to start unravelling.
It soon became clear that it wasn't a system of equal responsibility hence, it would seem, the early departure of Leon MacDonald - we presume because what he thought he was going to be and where he ended up in the hierarchy were two different things.
Then last year we saw the departure of the popular Jason Holland, whose role had seemingly become so marginalised it was no longer appealing.
It wasn't all bad.
They did retain the Bledisloe Cup. They did preserve the Eden Park record. They built some depth. They introduced some very good talent.
Yes, they certainly had some issues at scrum time in some of the matches that they lost, but they also showed signs of growing a useful forward pack and a good lineout by the end of the year.
But the losses were deflating, and many of those losses felt avoidable - except, of course, for Wellington last year. That was an unacceptable capitulation.
David Kirk speaks to media following Scott Robertson's All Blacks exit | Sport Nation
But in the end, the big failing was an inability by the coaches and the team itself to remedy some chronic shortcomings that manifested in a never-ending succession of costly second-half black holes, while it became increasingly obvious that a growing chunk of the players simply couldn't buy into the way the team was being run.
They also lost the changing room of public opinion, who became frustrated by the unconvincing - sometimes shambolic - pronouncements.
And so it has ended. For the first time ever, an All Black coach goes mid-contract. And for the first in the whole saga, maybe New Zealand Rugby has emerged with some credit.
By bringing Don Tricker into the review mechanism and allowing the hugely respected Keven Mealamu a role in canvassing the players, it meant there would be a meaningful and far-reaching inquiry and not the rubber stamping exercise some fans feared.
When confronted with the findings, they've acted. Maybe prompted by the media reports a decision that was, I'm told, not due to be announced until next week, was swiftly brought forward.
Chairman David Kirk emerges from this with credit. He clearly feels second best isn't good enough and others will need to take note of that, and it may not end with this.
David Kirk states there's no player revolt in All Blacks camp | Sport Nation
By the way, I am not sure that I would put it down to 'player power' as a lot of people have done.
Certainly player feedback was important. It was no bigger factor than the other factors that went into this decision. You might have your thoughts on that.
What is needed is a much needed dose of strong leadership at the top of New Zealand Rugby and a response to a mess that New Zealand Rugby itself played a hand in making.
They abandoned some key principles that had guided previous coaching appointments, most notably the need for genuine experience of international rugby coaching, and they made a hasty, populist decision.
At least we know now that even without a CEO, New Zealand Rugby has a strong hand on the wheel.
As for Razor, well, this will be absolutely crushing. He's so passionate about the game. He's a genuinely nice guy. He had a very successful record in Super Rugby.
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But this just didn't work. So let's just wish him the best and trust he'll find a good place soon to ply his trade. And let's not forget, an All Black coach, a human being losing his job, is not something to be celebrated.
Now it comes about the successor. Most of the talk is around Jamie Joseph, but names like Dave Rennie and Joe Schmidt are also in the mix. If they can extricate Tony Brown from his duties with the Springboks to join his old mate, that would be a real coup.
Meanwhile with Razor gone, Scott Hansen's position becomes untenable. The word is that Jason Ryan will stay, and Bryn Evans deserves to stay too because of the job he did with the lineout.
But whoever it is, there's a massive job ahead. What a year lies ahead. A change of coach is no guarantee of success, but the right thing has been done at the right time.
It's time now to start looking forward.
Tony Johnson is a veteran rugby broadcaster and host of Sport Nation's Summer Mornings
