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For new All Blacks head coach, Scott Robertson, being out in the ocean is a precious release from the stresses of work – aside from when he had a close encounter with a ‘massive’, man-eating shark.
These days, after several knee operations, the 49-year-old goes paddle-boarding in the mornings, as often as his location and schedule allows. In the past, surfing was the activity of choice and it was back in 2018 when Robertson had what he referred to as ‘my little moment’, in South Africa.
‘We were a couple of hours south of Durban, at one of the golf resorts – and a tiger shark came out,’ he said. ‘This guy went out and I was the last one out. Then I saw the shark. It was big. It was massive. I looked around and there was no-one there, so I just went straight up on my board and straight in, with my feet up.
‘I’d just had a little glance over my shoulder and it was a big thing. When the other guy went in, he could have told me! It was close enough. That was my little moment! You are pretty care-free when you are in the surf but that was just a wee sign (of the danger).’
Robertson jokingly did an impression of his shaken-up deep breathing on the beach after he fled the waves in a hurry. But the experience didn’t put him off his preferred hobby. Even now, with the onerous task of overseeing the team which serve as a national obsession in New Zealand, he takes to the water whenever possible.
New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson (pictured) enjoys surfing, but only narrowly escaped a man-eating shark in South Africa in 2018
He has now been tasked with leading New Zealand back to the summit of world rugby
‘There was 10ft (swell) out there today,’ he said. ‘I would be in Antarctica now! I do try to go out. I still always check the surf reports. It’s on my app wherever I go. Some guys play golf and I surf. Guys go to the gym, I surf or swim. I’m a water man.’
More than ever, Robertson will value his marine refuge, as a means of escaping the maelstrom of hope and hype. Kiwis expect the All Blacks to conquer all-comers and they will expect them to mark their new era with victory over England at Forsyth Barr Stadium here on Saturday.
Having won seven successive Super Rugby titles with the Christchurch-based Crusaders, Robertson was unveiled as the next national coach last March – eight months before his doomed predecessor, Ian Foster, defied negative forecasts by reaching a World Cup Final.
So, the new man has had this first Test in his sights for more than a year. No wonder he is keyed-up and recognises that the stakes are high. ‘I realise I’ve got to perform now,’ he said.
If his career sliding-doors moment had taken Robertson in another direction, he might have been here this weekend in the visiting camp. The RFU interviewed him in November 2022, when they were succession planning ahead of the scheduled end of Eddie Jones’ tenure a year later. Then the Australian was abruptly dismissed and Steve Borthwick was recruited from Leicester to replace him at short notice.
Despite publicly expressing an interest in the England job, it ultimately didn’t quite suit Robertson and his family. What he really wanted was closer to home.
‘We were talking about living in a castle at one stage; me and the missus,’ he joked, when asked about England’s interest. ‘I thought about going to France, but I didn’t really want to go back into club rugby after my beloved time with the Crusaders. It was time for me to test myself at Test level and the opportunity came here the All Blacks. I did have other opportunities, but my feet are here.’
Robertson could have replaced Eddie Jones (pictured) as England head coach in 2022
England opted to go with Steve Borthwick (pictured) instead, and Robertson’s first game in charge of the All Blacks will be against Borthwick’s men on Saturday
When pressed on why taking charge of England didn’t suit him, he added: ‘There are a lot of factors; your kids’ age, your wife. We’d spent three years in France and a year in Japan. You understood what it was like to bring kids over, then you’re in the next stage of your life. You go deep in all those areas, what suited us, and it wouldn’t. My first choice was where I am now. I’m pleased I stayed in that fight and here we are.’
Robertson has gained recognition and acclaim far beyond the Canterbury region on New Zealand’s south island, where he masterminded a title-winning golden age. At the time the RFU were inviting him over for a chat at Twickenham, the Kiwi free spirit had resumed his coaching alliance with former Crusaders assistant Ronan O’Gara, on behalf of the Barbarians. The pair certainly embraced the true ethos of the invitational team, judging by the hungover profile pictures which emerged.
The images went viral, causing much amusement and Robertson recalled the episode, saying: ‘My goodness gracious. I don’t do social media, but I was shown it. He looked worse than me!’ The relevance of the experience was that the ensuing victory over a New Zealand XV showed how Robertson can work wonders in a short time, which is what he has to do here.
He is dyslexic and that has had a bearing on the way in which he goes about his coaching. There is an emphasis on using images and clear, brief instructions. ‘That is how I have always worked,’ he said. ‘I am not great at admin. I just talk to pictures and bring them alive.’
Before his professional career began, Robertson enjoyed a formative experience in Northern Ireland which had a profound effect on him. After finishing school in Mount Maunganui, he had a stint playing at Ards Rugby Club and came home with a heightened awareness of the need to extend his academic studies.
Reflecting on that time, he said: ‘It helped me mature. I was a bit sheltered. It helped me to grow up in the realities of life and the opportunities that were out there.
‘I was limited in my thoughts. The No 1 thing I learned from playing in Ards was that I had to get an education. A lot of the guys went to Queen’s University. I would sit in the back of the lecture theatre and listen. They were going off to Amsterdam or London – to finance and the markets. Education gave them those opportunities and I hadn’t had that.’
Armed with this new outlook, Robertson signed with the Crusaders, on the condition they would fund his degree at Lincoln University in Christchurch. That became a template for so many All Blacks who followed him. ‘I was a bit of a pioneer in that way,’ he said.
New Zealand lost to South Africa by a single point in last year’s Rugby World Cup final
New Zealand are now looking to kickstart a new era under Robertson against England
One of those who gained a degree at Lincoln was Richie McCaw and the iconic, double World Cup-winning New Zealand captain was invited into the All Blacks camp to speak to the current squad about the challenges ahead. They are taking England seriously, as a team capable of spoiling the new-era launch party.
‘They have advanced their game with ball in hand,’ said Robertson. ‘They still play their pressurising footie and still love competing in the air, but when they attack off it, they are a bit braver now. There’s a bit of edge of the unknown about them. Steve has had his hands on them for a year and he’s a really accomplished, meticulous coach. You can see how they are evolving.’
Over recent years, when the Crusaders won Super Rugby titles, Robertson would celebrate with an impromptu demonstration of breakdancing, surrounded by his players. But it will take more than a one-off Test win to see him unveil his body-popping moves in his new job.
‘Let’s make it in Aussie in four years,’ he said, in reference to the next World Cup. That is the goal. That is the sky-high expectation. Nothing else will do.
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