All Blacks coach Scott Robertson reveals Bledisloe heartache behind two-decade domination
The Wallabies have 22 years of Bledisloe Cup pain behind them. Unfortunately, so does the new All Blacks coach, who will be out to extend Australia’s rugby misery in Sydney.
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As Prime Minister John Howard presented George Gregan with the Bledisloe Cup trophy, among the bereft figures in black standing on the sideline was Scott Robertson.
It was August 3, 2002, in the giant Sydney Olympic stadium that had become a cauldron for the visitors.
Robertson, the All Blacks No.8 for that match, and his teammates, could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that this would be the last time a Wallabies captain hoisted the famous trophy for at least two decades.
Back on that day, it was only the pain of knowing they’d lost it for a fifth straight year.
Now Robertson returns to the scene, as the All Blacks coach, planning to steer his team to a 22nd successive Bledisloe defence.
He is the only man who played that day in 2002 that is involved in Saturday afternoon’s match.
Centre Daniel Herbert has become chairman of Rugby Australia, while lock Justin Harrison is the players’ union boss and will be commentating on the game.
But Robertson is the only one who has direct involvement in the Test match – he parted ways with attack coach Leon McDonald a few weeks ago.
It was McDonald who came off the bench and was pinged for hands in the ruck on full-time by referee Andre Watson, allowing Matt Burke to kick the winning penalty goal for a 16-14 win after the siren.
Robertson never won a Bledisloe series in his playing career, finishing with two wins and three losses in those encounters, but prefers to remember the good times.
“The first year was a little bit niggly, but we won a couple of big games, we won the Game of the Century actually, at Accor here when Jonah [Lomu] scored in the last moments,” Robertson said.
“That’s my memory of the Bledisloe Cup.”
The new All Blacks coach has endured a rocky start to his campaign – they’ve lost three of their past four Tests – but Robertson will be doubly determined to stop that streak, for the sake of his team and to ease his own memories of this venue.
Opposite him is another Kiwi, Joe Schmidt, who just last year during the World Cup shared the sheds with most of the players Robertson is now in charge of.
Schmidt and Robertson have coached against each other at Super Rugby level, and know each others’ tendencies well.
But as much as they can plan and strategise, it will come down to the execution of the players.
The Wallabies have shunned the lure of their usual base on Coogee this week to stay opposite the stadium in Homebush.
The All Blacks, unbothered by the incredulous claims of being bugged by listening devices a few years ago, continue to stay in Double Bay – although Robertson said he had introduced a strict “mandate” so none of his players are caught wandering the sticky floors of the Golden Sheaf at 2am this week.
Robertson, nicknamed Razor, has felt the love in the eastern suburbs.
“You’re walking everywhere and it’s ‘Good luck Razor’ and ‘All the best’. A few Kiwis have done all right, they’ve come around Double Bay and Bronte,” he said.
“I had a surf with Joey Johns, he knows his footy, I was really impressed with him. He loves a stand-off or a 10, he knows the details of them, he’s still in love with Carlos Spencer.
“He knows all the pivots, ‘When are you getting Richie [Mo’unga] back’. It was entertaining.
“It’s a special country, Aussie.”
And the harbour city is recently special for the visitors.
In the past four Bledisloe Cup matches held in Sydney stretching back to 2016, the All Blacks have won by an average margin of 44-15.
But the start of Robertson’s Test career coincided with the Wallabies’ incredible streak beginning in 1998.
“I was fresh, young. I was pretty green back in those days,” Robertson said.
“I was obviously really proud to play with Michael Jones, who was my childhood hero, that week. Just the family coming down, the occasion.
“That was when they were at their peak with the George Gregans and the John Eales, they had everyone. That was a big old year that one, 1998.
“And it’s got that little feeling again, you reflect back as a player, but also as a coach now, just the history and responsibility that comes with the Bledisloe and the performance that is required.”
He’s ensured his players know, as Ardie Savea explained.
“That’s been part of the week, understanding when New Zealand lost it many years ago and that feeling from those players and not being part of that team that hands it over. That creates that feeling in your gut,” Savea said.
“That’s how we’ve passed that message on to the new boys and giving them a feel for how important it is to us.”
For Schmidt, the task is trebled.
He must overcome 22 years of Australian misery, a poor recent record in Sydney against the All Blacks, and cleaning his players’ minds of the record 67-27 loss they suffered to Argentina in the previous game two weeks ago.
“The Bledisloe is a massive trophy, it’s something that I know the All Blacks treasure and the Wallabies would like to treasure,” Schmidt said.
“They haven’t seen it for quite some time and so it would be great if they could at least get a hand on it and keep it live to Wellington [for game two next week].
“But I think what we’ve been working on is really just trying to do elements of the game better, rather than talking about anything that’s outcome focused or result focused.”
Major improvement is required across the board for Australia.
The All Blacks lead TRC for line breaks and defenders beaten, two areas the Wallabies are last.
The Kiwis also lead the tournament for turnovers.
But the Wallabies have shown to have a more reliable lineout, winning 90 per cent of their own throws while leading the competition for lineout steals (eight).
And the All Blacks have conceded the most penalties thus far, an area Australia must exploit and pressure to exit their half and keep the scoreboard moving.
There’s no point denying it is a long shot for the Wallabies.
But if they can take any inspiration from their 2002 predecessors, it would be that after Matt Burke had missed three attempts at goal, no one really believed in him either.
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