Scott Robertson’s two-year tenure as All Blacks coach ended abruptly today after New Zealand Rugby announced his departure. Here are the highs and lows of the Razor era.

Razor’s ‘reset’

March 21, 2023: Robertson was named All Blacks coach starting from the 2024 season, appointed for four years through to the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The decision meant incumbent Ian Foster continued to lead the All Blacks through the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where they were beaten in the final by South Africa. It marked the end of a charged debate about Foster and just who was the right leader for the men in black.

“Robertson is being brought in with a mandate to reset an All Blacks side in every way: personnel, attitudes, culture and interaction,” the Herald’s Gregor Paul wrote at the time.

An awkward start

April 26, 2023: Robertson revealed his coaching staff, with All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan joined by Leon MacDonald, Jason Holland and Scott Hansen, more than a full year before the team’s first test.

It meant awkward ramifications among the All Blacks set-up at the time, with assistants Scott McLeod (defence) and Greg Feek (scrum) on the outer as part of a widespread cleanout.

O Captain! My Captain!

June 25, 2024: Robertson named his first squad, including the call to make Scott Barrett his captain. The Crusaders skipper was the preferred choice over Ardie Savea, the reigning World Rugby player of the year.

“He’s got a really good feel for the game to make the right calls at the right time. He’s won a lot of big games and big moments,” Robertson said of Barrett. ”He’s always risen to the occasion with the All Blacks, and I know he’ll do it as a captain too."

The biggest talking point was the omission of Blues No 8 Hoskins Sotutu, despite a standout Super Rugby Pacific season.

A scare to start

July 6, 2024: Robertson’s first test in charge started with England giving the All Blacks an almighty scare under the Dunedin roof as the home side held on for a 16-15 win. A week later, the All Blacks needed a comeback win to deny England at Eden Park.

Gregor Paul described it as a nervy start to the Robertson era, where the All Blacks were sucked into England’s trap.

First defeat

August 10, 2024: Fourth test in charge and first defeat for Robertson as Argentina recorded their highest total against the All Blacks in a 38-30 win in Wellington. The All Blacks bounced back against the Pumas a week later, winning 42-10.

“It’s a close-run thing in trying to determine whether the biggest failure in Wellington last Saturday was the All Blacks losing to Argentina or New Zealand Rugby (NZR) not selling out the stadium,” Paul wrote at the time.

Exit MacDonald

August 22, 2024: Ahead of two Rugby Championship tests in South Africa, assistant coach Leon MacDonald left his post in the All Blacks coaching group. After several weeks of discussions between Robertson and MacDonald on their working approach, NZR confirmed the pair had mutually agreed to part ways and that MacDonald would not be replaced. Assistant coach Scott Hansen and contact skills coach Tamati Ellison took on additional responsibilities for the remainder of the season.

Contract conundrum: The legal implications of MacDonald’s exit

Bashed by the Boks

September 1, 2024: In Robertson’s first clash against the Springboks, the All Blacks coughed up a 10-point lead with 12 minutes to play, conceding two late tries to fall 31-27 in Johannesburg. A week later, the Springboks recorded their fourth win in succession against their great foes, for the first time in 75 years. For the first time in 15 years, the All Blacks handed the Freedom Cup over to South Africa.

Ireland streak snapped

November 9, 2024: A week after beating England for a fourth time in the year, Robertson’s men stunned Ireland and snapped their 19-test undefeated home streak. It was New Zealand’s first win in Dublin in eight years.

Fourth loss of the year

November 17, 2024: An unbeaten northern tour was within reach, but fatigue and the officials took hold in the final quarter, as the All Blacks lost all semblance of flow in a 30-29 loss to France in Paris. It was Robertson’s fourth defeat in his maiden season, which ended with a 29-11 win a week later against Italy. A 10-4 record for Robertson in year one.

Winning run halted

August 23, 2025: Despite a patchy second-half performance in Cordoba, the All Blacks registered a comfortable 41-26 bonus-point victory in their first Rugby Championship test in Argentina. There was no sign of that dominance in the second match, though, as the capacity crowd at José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires chanted, sang and bounced throughout the second half as the Pumas etched their names in history with a 29-23 win.

Fortress intact

September 6, 2025: After four straight losses to the Springboks, nerves were high outside the All Blacks camp with the Eden Park home record on the line. But they marked Ardie Savea’s 100th test in style with a 24-17 win.

Worst defeat

September 13, 2025: The Springboks handed the All Blacks their biggest loss, by 43-10 in Wellington, topping the 35-7 defeat against South Africa at Twickenham before the 2023 World Cup. The All Blacks led 10-7 at halftime, only to capitulate and be held scoreless as the Boks ran in five second-half tries and 36 unanswered points.

“Not right at the moment,” Robertson replied when probed on what answers he had for the backward step that continued the worryingly inconsistent theme of his tenure after the 1-1 Argentina tour.

“That’s something we’ll have to look at, and we’ll have to find out pretty quickly because we’ve got a big Bledisloe coming.

“You get extremely disappointed because you put so much effort and work into the team, the culture, and you set yourselves up to dig in and show grit, and then that happens. We couldn’t buy anything, couldn’t get anything happening, they just went on a tear. Congratulations to them.”

Another one bites the dust

October 23, 2025: Assistant coach Jason Holland announced he had decided to leave his role at the conclusion of his contract at the end of the year, just a day before flying to Chicago for their clash with Ireland at Soldier Field.

Robertson said there had been no pressure from within New Zealand Rugby to bring about changes to the coaching staff on account of the All Blacks’ misfiring attack.

“There’s nothing from above. No, not at all.

“There’s nothing around the performance side of it. It’s just a decision, and it’s been made, and we’ll get on with it.”

How New Zealand Rugby’s plan for Scott Robertson backfired – Gregor Paul

Grand Slam hopes slammed

November 16, 2025: After late, great escapes against Ireland in Chicago and Scotland at Murrayfield, where individual brilliance saved the All Blacks, Robertson’s men ran out of puff and get-out-of-jail cards in a 33-19 defeat at Twickenham. The quest for a first Grand Slam in 15 years was within the All Blacks’ grasp as they compiled a 12-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes but, from then on, they were second best to concede 25 unanswered points and again leave themselves chasing the game. It was England’s second-largest win and second-most points against the All Blacks. Defeat No 7 for Razor as All Blacks coach.

Who is the coach?

November 21, 2025: “Robertson’s vision was never for him to undertake the tasks that most would agree constitute the role of head coach – setting the overall playing vision for the team and then overseeing the delivery of that plan," Gregor Paul revealed in his Inside Rugby newsletter.

“As Robertson confirmed to the Herald in Cardiff, it is his assistant, Scott Hansen, who effectively operates in the role most would recognise as the head coach.

“Hansen, who presents as an obvious deep thinker and passionate custodian of the All Blacks brand, mainly operated as a defence coach prior to his current appointment, having had stints with Canterbury, the Leicester Tigers and the Crusaders.

“There are three significant issues with how this has played out. The first is that the team are not playing particularly well, having lost seven of their 26 tests under Robertson/Hansen.

“Those results are a confirmation of sorts that the team have not yet found their identity: they have not produced a definitive style of rugby that has caught the imagination, and the Northern Hemisphere media have been hugely underwhelmed by the All Blacks these last few weeks.

“Secondly, the question needs to be asked that, if Hansen had applied to be the head coach in 2023, would he have been given the role?”

Robertson later clarified to the Herald that he maintained a high degree of operational oversight, vetoed or amended tactical plans presented by Hansen, and that he made the final calls in selection and operated in the same way as most other head coaches in the international arena.

However, the Herald also learned that several players had sought clarity from Robertson about why they were not selected for certain games, only to be told they would need to take that up with Hansen or forwards coach Jason Ryan.

Last test in charge

November 23, 2025: Not many rugby coaches would have lost their jobs on the back of a 26-point win. In what turned out to be Robertson’s last test in charge, the All Blacks ended the 2025 season with a 52-26 victory over Wales.

“We gave 45 guys opportunities this year to build competition in the group and depth and make sure we expose guys over this four-year cycle to win a World Cup,” Robertson said.

“It was a helluva year, wasn’t it? An interesting year for us, but we’re pleased with tonight.” A 10-3 season meant Robertson had a 20-7 record over his two seasons.

Internal frustrations emerge

December 13, 2025: The Herald reported feedback from players and staff presenting a deeply concerning picture of the All Blacks environment, with multiple sources pointing to widespread internal frustrations.

Player revolt?

January 14, 2026: The Herald reported that pressure was mounting on New Zealand Rugby to instigate major changes to the All Blacks coaching team after a scathing internal review, and with doubts hovering over Savea’s future in the black jersey. The most critical feedback of the All Blacks’ coaching, culture and environment came from senior players, with frustrations building throughout Robertson’s two-year tenure.

Multiple sources told the Herald that Savea was exploring discussions to stay on with Japanese club Kobe beyond this year, or to join a European club, with Irish club Leinster believed to be a possible destination.

Disposable Razor

January 15, 2026: New Zealand Rugby announced Robertson’s departure as coach.

Robertson also released a statement: “Coaching the All Blacks has been the honour of my life. I am incredibly proud of what this team has achieved and of the progress we have made. We have brought through a talented group of young players, strengthened the depth across the squad, and set solid foundations for the years ahead.

“Following the end of year review, I have taken time to reflect on some of the feedback. My priority has always been the success of the All Blacks and, after discussions with New Zealand Rugby, I believe it is in the best interests of the team for me to step aside.

“I have therefore reached an agreement with New Zealand Rugby to end my contract early so a new coaching group has the time it needs to prepare and take the team into the next World Cup.”