Tamaiti Williams is focusing on what he can control.

As the All Blacks prop prepares for the new Super Rugby Pacific season with the Crusaders, he does so as questions hang over the immediate future of the national team.

Last week, New Zealand Rugby announced that All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson would be leaving the role, with the search for a new face to lead the team into the 2027 World Cup under way.

It was a stunning way to start what shapes up to be a big year for the All Blacks, with home tests against France, Italy and Ireland as part of the Nations Championship and an eight-fixture tour in South Africa among their assignments.

“It’s a tough world we live in, right? But a lot of love and prayers go to Razor [Robertson] and his family. I know he’s going to do well, whatever he does,” Williams said of the move.

“And for us as players, we’ve just got to get together and figure it out, I guess. Looking forward to what’s next, but also, yeah, love to Ray.”

The move that saw Robertson leave his post at the helm of the All Blacks came after a review into the programme at the end of last year.

Under Robertson’s charge, which began in 2024, the All Blacks had a 20-7 test record. However, they went 1-3 against South Africa, including being dealt their worst loss ever last year in Wellington, while they were also beaten at home by Argentina in 2024.

“I don’t really know too much about the review process, but we just got told it was very thorough; there was no bias in it,” Williams said. “So for me as a player, my job’s to now be back with the Crusaders and give my all to the Crusaders.”

Williams added that he wasn’t aware of any feeling in the playing group that something needed to change in the coaching set-up.

“Definitely not to my knowledge. I’m a player. I get told to run into people and tackle people as well. So whoever the coaches were and whoever they’re going to be, I have full trust in and I guess it’s my job just to buy in 100%,” he said.

“My opinion on it is we trust whoever gets the role. We back them and then we get the job done. That’s quite simple ... whoever comes in, trust them and good luck.”

Williams will return for a Crusaders team looking to back up its title-winning campaign in 2025; a season which saw a dramatic turnaround in the trajectory from 2024.

In the first season under Rob Penney, who replaced Robertson after he led the Crusaders to seven titles, the Christchurch-based side struggled for results and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

In 2025, they finished the regular season second – tied with the Chiefs for best record in the competition at 11-3 – before going on to sneak past their Hamilton rivals in the grand final.

The Crusaders will begin the year with four New Zealand derbies in their first five games (Highlanders, Chiefs, Blues, Highlanders), before ending the season with four in a row (Hurricanes, Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes).

“We’ve got a tough run this year, but, like we always say as Crusaders, we take it week by week and we’ll keep showing up,” Williams said.

“At the end of the day, you’ve still got to go out there and do it, right? So, we’ll earn every week, every day, and we’ll get after it.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.