"History matters" - Scott Robertson on recent All Blacks dominance over England

“Looking forward to a great Test match at Twickenham,” he said today. “It’s always an honour and a real privilege to play there and certainly something we’re looking forward to.”

Robertson has brought a calm, grounded tone to his time in charge of New Zealand. He doesn’t lean into bravado, but there’s a quiet confidence in how he talks about preparation and performance. After tight wins over Ireland in Chicago and Scotland in Edinburgh, his side are unbeaten this autumn — but he knows England are another step up.

The All Blacks have not lost to England since the 2019 World Cup semi-final and at Twickenham since 2012, a stat that could easily become a distraction. The past four games between the two nations saw a draw in 2022, followed by three All Blacks wins by 7 or fewer points last year. Robertson, though, prefers to use it as context rather than comfort.

“History matters,” he said. “How you’ve done it and we’ll probably reflect on it, but also what’s happened since. The tightness of the games and what it is to play at Twickenham, and the occasion of it all. We’re grateful to be here.”

Injuries have been a talking point, but the coach sounded quietly optimistic. “Scott Barrett is making great progression,” he said. “Tomorrow’s training is important for him to get through to be available, but he’s tracking well. Caleb Clarke’s unavailable for this Test match… but it’s looking good for the next one.”

Robertson is managing a squad that has played a lot of rugby in a short space of time with the Rugby Championship taking place at the end of summer, but insists fatigue isn’t a major concern. “You manage them through training and their mental and physical load,” he explained.

"We had that little four-week period before we came over to get ourselves physically ready. It felt like a bit of a freshen up… the boys are fresh, but battle-hardened.”

When he talks about England, there’s a mix of respect and curiosity. He called their recent 38-18 win over Fiji “a hell of a Test match” — a contest full of “opportunities, toughness and fightback”. He knows what’s coming: power, pace, and plenty of kicking.

“In the northern hemisphere you’re going to get that,” Robertson said. “The last couple of games we’ve had that and it’s going to keep coming. It’s part of the game and you can’t escort, so there’s more competition and more aerial contests. We’re aware of that. They can play as well — they can shift the ball and they’ve got some great power in their finishers.”

Handling the high ball has been a point of emphasis for New Zealand this tour. “Statistically… I won’t go too deep, we’ve won enough obviously but we want more,” he said. “You don’t get as many in Super Rugby, so when you come into Test rugby, it’s like a set piece for us. You get what you focus on, and that’s what we focus on during the week.”