Why Rassie Erasmus’ Innovations Played a Role in Scott Robertson’s Sacking
- All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson’s sacking exposed a shift in expectations around national team squad management
- New Zealand are weighing a coaching succession that could reopen the door for the Springboks assistant coach Tony Brown
- Briefly News spoke exclusively to rugby analyst Thabang Mokoena on the wider impacts
New Zealand Rugby stunned the global game on Thursday, 15 January 2025, when it dismissed head coach Scott Robertson after a turbulent review into the All Blacks’ 2025 campaign. The mid-cycle shake-up comes less than two years out from the 2027 Rugby World Cup and has forced the former Crusaders boss to exit with a 20-7 Test record that failed to satisfy a union accustomed to sustained dominance.
Source: Getty Images
Robertson’s tenure was hampered by internal fractures, stalled development, and murmurs of senior player dissatisfaction. AFP reporting further noted growing irritation over selection rigidity and a reluctance to rest veterans or blood emerging talent over the two-year cycle, a stark contrast to how South Africa and Ireland have built depth since 2022.
Rassie Erasmus vs Robertson
One point raised within coaching circles is how the benchmark has changed. National teams no longer survive on a ruthless first XV alone. Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber disrupted that model by treating Springbok player management as a four-year process, not an annual sprint, cycling as many as 49 players in 2025 and 50 in 2024 to ensure performance continuity, workload protection, and succession under pressure.
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Robertson, by comparison, leaned heavily on established combinations, resisted rotation even against lower-tier opposition, and paid a heavy price for the lack of renewal. The internal performance review reportedly echoed this frustration, with depth-building cited as a key vulnerability heading into the next World Cup cycle.
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Speaking to Briefly News, rugby analyst Thabang Mokoena argued that Erasmus indirectly shifted the standard for what “successful” Test management looks like.
“New Zealand fans won’t say it aloud, but the bar is now the Springboks,” Mokoena explained.
“Erasmus proved that depth has become the real form of dominance, and unions are adapting. When Robertson didn’t modernise, he was exposed.”
Mokoena said the real turning point was philosophical rather than personal.
“Robertson still coaches like the Super Rugby era matters. It doesn’t anymore. Erasmus made it about cycles, load management, and reproducible systems. New Zealand expected that, and he didn’t deliver.”
Tony Brown subplot
Beyond Robertson himself, attention has quickly shifted to the identity of his successor. Former Highlanders boss Jamie Joseph has emerged as a frontrunner, and his appointment could spark a battle between New Zealand Rugby and SA Rugby over Springbok attack coach Tony Brown.
Brown has transformed South Africa’s attacking returns since 2023 and is widely credited for modernising the Springboks’ strike patterns without compromising their dominant kicking and defensive identity. Erasmus is understood to be pushing for Brown to remain through to the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
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But Brown has repeatedly declined All Blacks' approaches out of loyalty to Joseph and could be tempted back if his long-time coaching partner takes charge.
Mokoena believes this angle carries as much weight as Robertson’s dismissal.
“Brown is the most valuable tactical mind in the southern hemisphere right now,” he noted. “If New Zealand lands Joseph, they don’t just fill a vacancy; they steal game intelligence from South Africa.”
He warned that the coaching carousel is not merely reputational but strategic.
“The All Blacks are trying to reclaim a competitive edge. They fired Robertson because the Springboks changed the standard. The next move could be to weaken them at source.”
For now, New Zealand Rugby insists only Robertson has been dismissed and that the incoming head coach will have freedom to appoint his own team. SA Rugby remains focused on locking in Brown beyond 2027, and Erasmus has already extended his own contract to 2031 in anticipation of the next cycle.
Ex-Ireland coach criticises former Springboks boss
Briefly News previously reported that former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan has voiced concerns over Jacques Nienaber’s influence at Leinster.
He suggested that the team’s current style under the South African coach is both predictable in attack and vulnerable in defence.
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Source: Briefly News
