74 per cent win record, but his reign will be defined by historic setbacks: a 43–10 home thrashing by South Africa in Wellington, followed a week later by New Zealand’s first ever defeat to Argentina on Pumas soil.
In the wake of his exit, we look back at rugby’s most unsuccessful international head coaches and the failures that shaped their legacies.
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10 Peter de Villiers
South Africa’s results under De Villiers were respectable on paper, but deeply disappointing in context. He won 30 of 48 tests, including a series victory over the British & Irish Lions and a rare winning year against the All Blacks in 2009. Yet with a World Cup–winning squad at his disposal, many believed the Springboks consistently underperformed. Consecutive last-place finishes in the 2010 and 2011 Tri Nations exposed a side that lacked clarity and consistency, before a meek quarter-final exit at the 2011 World Cup ended his tenure.
His reputation deteriorated further during a short spell with Zimbabwe. Appointed to revive the program and target World Cup qualification, De Villiers instead oversaw decline, narrowly avoiding relegation from Africa’s top tier before being dismissed in 2019. Ultimately, his career is remembered less for results than for unfulfilled potential and controversy.
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9 Andy Robinson
England’s post-2003 World Cup era quickly lost direction under Robinson. In two years as head coach he won just nine of 22 matches, presiding over tactical drift, declining confidence and increasing supporter unrest. Despite being backed initially by the RFU, defeats continued to mount, and Robinson resigned in 2006, citing a lack of support from the governing body.
His later tenure with Scotland offered little redemption. Results stagnated, culminating in a humiliating home defeat to Tonga in 2012 that triggered his resignation. In both roles, Robinson inherited talented playing groups but failed to impose authority or a clear game plan. His international career became a cautionary tale: respected as a player and assistant, but unable to command the top job.
8 Kingsley Jones
Two struggling rugby nations came under Jones’ leadership, yet neither emerged stronger. His time with Russia produced moderate outcomes: mid-table finishes in Europe, occasional wins, and brief progress toward World Cup qualification before he stepped aside. With just 11 victories from 26 matches, the overall trajectory was one of stagnation rather than growth.
Canada’s decline under his tenure was far more severe. Appointed in 2017, Jones oversaw heavy defeats, failure to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup, and historic regression. Although Canada later survived repechage, the program continued to slide, culminating in missing the 2023 World Cup entirely. With a test record of 14–34, his era is remembered as one of the darkest in Canadian rugby history.
7 Warren Gatland (second spell)
Few coaches returned with a stronger legacy than Gatland, yet his second spell in charge of Wales became a stark reversal. While a strong pool-stage showing at the 2023 World Cup briefly masked underlying problems, domestic results soon collapsed. A winless 2024 Six Nations delivered Wales’ first wooden spoon in 21 years and signalled a deeper decline.
What followed was unprecedented: a record-breaking losing streak that included historic home defeats to Fiji and Australia, mounting internal tensions with the WRU, and a visible loss of player confidence. By early 2025, Wales had dropped to 12th in the world rankings, prompting Gatland’s mid-tournament departure. A once-glorious legacy was left badly tarnished.
6 Mitsutake Hagimoto
Japan’s struggle at elite level in the early 2000s was brutally exposed during this period. Under Hagimoto’s leadership, the national side suffered some of the heaviest defeats in international rugby history, including a 100–8 loss to Scotland and a 98–0 demolition by Wales. Tactical naivety and flawed selection decisions left Japan hopelessly outmatched.
While the nation would later transform into a competitive Tier One contender, this tenure offered neither stability nor vision. Although Hagimoto later contributed at age-grade level, his time in charge of the senior side remains synonymous with capitulation rather than development, an era that highlighted how damaging poor leadership can be at international level.
