New Zealand make Scott Robertson sack decision after 'awful' 2025

. Yes, the assistant.

He keeps his job for now, yet unless 2026 brings a sharp turnaround, there’s every chance NZR pulls the trigger and replaces him before the Rugby World Cup.

Kiwi pundits were left stunned – even “flabbergasted” – after Robertson’s eyebrow-raising admission in Wales a fortnight ago that revealed just how the All Blacks’ coaching hierarchy actually works. And it wasn’t Razor at the top of the tree.

Despite all the hype that followed Robertson into the job after the 2023 World Cup, it turns out his old Crusaders crew – quietly appointed and widely questioned for their lack of Test-level experience – are holding far more power than fans ever imagined.

Gregor Paul blew the lid off things in a New Zealand Herald piece, revealing that Robertson confirmed in Cardiff that assistant Scott Hansen is effectively operating as the head coach

That bombshell ricocheted across New Zealand rugby circles, prompting an immediate backlash.

“I’m flabbergasted by this,” radio host Martin Devlin raged on DSPN. “None of us wanted Scott Hansen to be the coach of the All Blacks. Razor is the coach – and if he can’t be the coach, get another coach. And it’s not Scott Hansen.”

Devlin didn’t stop there.

“You haven’t earned the right to be All Blacks coach yet. You haven’t even coached the Crusaders. Robertson was meant to be doing that job.

“Last week he says the assistants are learning on the job – now he says the assistant is basically the coach. If he really means that, we’ve got serious problems.”

Paul’s article noted that Robertson pitched himself as a “cultural coach” during his interview process, suggesting NZR knew he’d delegate heavily to his hand-picked Crusaders cohort.

But after a disastrous 2025 and revelations that have shaken fan confidence, the message is blunt: Robertson survives this time, but unless he delivers big improvements in 2026, the All Blacks won’t hesitate to make a change long before the World Cup kicks off.

Razor’s seat isn’t just warm – it’s scorching.