All Blacks 2026
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so, what time are the coaches being announced?
She's gonna be a long time between now and the start of the super season!
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@Godder said in All Blacks 2026:
How potential coaches have done in difficult times seems important. Apparently can't just pick the most successful super coach since they may not have experience with ongoing tough times and opposition.
Copilot identified the following international coaches under 50 who have experienced adversity: Scott Robertson, Andy Farrell, and Fabian Gulthie. Over 50: Rassie, Steve Hansen, Eddie Jones, Warren Gatland, Joe Schmidt, Michael Chieka and Ian Foster.
How did/do each of the over 50s manage pressure and opposition:
Eddie Jones- Radical preparation routines — Jones is famous for obsessive planning, scenario training, and over‑preparing teams so pressure feels familiar.
- Confronting criticism head‑on — He often addresses media attacks directly, using them as motivational fuel.
- Constant reinvention — When opposition builds, he changes staff, tactics, or training intensity to reset momentum.
- Emotional detachment — He has spoken about learning not to take public criticism personally after decades in the spotlight.
Warren Gatland
- Calm emotional regulation — Gatland is known for staying steady under fire, rarely reacting emotionally to media or political pressure.
- Building trusted inner circles — He relies heavily on long‑term assistants and senior players to buffer external noise.
- Direct communication — When facing opposition, he addresses issues bluntly with players, unions, or media.
- Long‑term planning — He reduces pressure by focusing on multi‑year cycles rather than week‑to‑week noise.
Steve Hansen
- Delegation and empowerment — Hansen reduces personal pressure by giving staff and players ownership of decisions.
- Emphasis on humility and honesty — He manages opposition by acknowledging mistakes publicly and privately.
- Emotional intelligence — Known for reading people well, he diffuses conflict before it escalates.
- Process over outcome — He focuses on daily standards rather than external expectations.
Joe Schmidt
- Extreme attention to detail — Schmidt manages pressure by controlling what he can: preparation, clarity, and structure.
- Private coping systems — His family challenges forced him to develop strong boundaries and routines outside rugby.
- Shielding players from criticism — He often absorbs media pressure himself to protect the squad.
- Controlled environments — He reduces chaos by creating highly structured training and communication systems.
Michael Cheika
- Channelling emotion into intensity — Cheika uses passion as a tool, turning pressure into energy.
- Building loyalty through honesty — He confronts opposition directly, often in emotional but productive conversations.
- Cross‑sport learning — Coaching in rugby league and soccer has broadened his coping strategies.
- Reframing adversity — He often uses setbacks as narrative fuel to unite teams.
Rassie Erasmus
- Radical transparency — Erasmus often addresses opposition publicly, explaining decisions in detail to reduce speculation.
- Humour and vulnerability — He uses humour to defuse pressure and openly discusses personal struggles.
- Shared leadership models — He distributes pressure across players and staff.
- Purpose‑driven culture — He frames pressure as part of a bigger national mission, which reframes stress as meaning.
Ian Foster
- Staying steady under criticism — Foster endured unprecedented public opposition by maintaining composure and consistency.
- Internal focus — He repeatedly emphasised team processes over external noise.
- Relationship‑driven leadership — He relied heavily on player support to counter public negativity.
- Selective engagement with media — He reduced pressure by limiting reactive commentary.
What you can see across all of them
Even though their styles differ, the most successful coaches over 50 share four habits:- They build strong inner circles
- They create systems that reduce chaos
- They reframe pressure as opportunity or purpose
- They separate identity from results
These are the psychological foundations of long‑term survival in elite rugby.
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Not to bash a dead horse but some more confirmation about what I posted way up the thread.
I had a catch up with a former All Black today that is still heavily in rugby circles. He said what he was hearing in his circles was that Razor had completely lost the locker room and that it was very much unresolvable(the fern already knew this) and a matter of time before it happened. The fact he had palmed things off to Scott Hansen only made things worse as a lot of the players didn’t like him. Was a pretty unanimous decision by all accounts.
Said no doubt he’s a decent coach but did say it makes you wonder how much having top quality cattle at the Crusaders masked over other deficiencies. It’s clearly a different beast at international level as was exposed pretty quickly.
Good to know that it isn’t just your average joes out here hearing stuff like this and running with it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
Can we ban full AI posts? Appreciate it cuts time down sometimes but if I wanted a discussion using AI I'd just ask ChatGPT to create a whole fake conversation...
I think AI can provide a good starting point for discussion. Granted the info isn’t always correct but judging from the info in some of the TSF posts that’s not necessarily an impediment holding people back here. O
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@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2026:
Not to bash a dead horse but some more confirmation about what I posted way up the thread.
I had a catch up with a former All Black today that is still heavily in rugby circles. He said what he was hearing in his circles was that Razor had completely lost the locker room and that it was very much unresolvable(the fern already knew this) and a matter of time before it happened. The fact he had palmed things off to Scott Hansen only made things worse as a lot of the players didn’t like him. Was a pretty unanimous decision by all accounts.
Said no doubt he’s a decent coach but did say it makes you wonder how much having top quality cattle at the Crusaders masked over other deficiencies. It’s clearly a different beast at international level as was exposed pretty quickly.
Good to know that it isn’t just your average joes out here hearing stuff like this and running with it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
So Razor essentially was a human victory cigar at the Saders?
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@Grooter said in All Blacks 2026:
Mr Fish is this YouTube video I got recommended AI? I'm like 80% sure it is but you'll know for sure
Haha it was hard to tell whether the content was definitely AI because the AI voices automatically made the whole thing sound fake. But yes, fully AI - that podcast seems to get some decent views on YouTube too.
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@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
Can we ban full AI posts? Appreciate it cuts time down sometimes but if I wanted a discussion using AI I'd just ask ChatGPT to create a whole fake conversation...
I think AI can provide a good starting point for discussion. Granted the info isn’t always correct but judging from the info in some of the TSF posts that’s not necessarily an impediment holding people back here. O
Ha fair play.
Don't mind a list pulled from AI with a person's own thoughts but would rather not read ChatGPT's opinions, especially if they're going to include guys who aren't candidates like Hansen.
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@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
Can we ban full AI posts? Appreciate it cuts time down sometimes but if I wanted a discussion using AI I'd just ask ChatGPT to create a whole fake conversation...
I think AI can provide a good starting point for discussion. Granted the info isn’t always correct but judging from the info in some of the TSF posts that’s not necessarily an impediment holding people back here. O
Agree and permaban anyone who posts it.
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@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
I think AI can provide a good starting point for discussion
No
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@Yeetyaah I agree.
Fuck AI.
How the hell can a fucking robot understand the emotions involved in being an AB supporter.
I want to be on here with people who know the joy and the angst that comes with bleeding black.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
@allblackfan2 said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
Can we ban full AI posts? Appreciate it cuts time down sometimes but if I wanted a discussion using AI I'd just ask ChatGPT to create a whole fake conversation...
I think AI can provide a good starting point for discussion. Granted the info isn’t always correct but judging from the info in some of the TSF posts that’s not necessarily an impediment holding people back here. O
Ha fair play.
Don't mind a list pulled from AI with a person's own thoughts but would rather not read ChatGPT's opinions, especially if they're going to include guys who aren't candidates like Hansen.
Fair enough. I thought it was quite interesting to see how ex coaches (allegedly) managed pressure and opposition. Particularly if this pointed to some common traits across past and present coaches. Hoping for some commentary from ferners incl challenging the AI info. If the net is actually being cast wide I wonder what people would think of a non kiwi head coach e.g. O’Farrell. He got Ireland to the quarter final and prior to that, took on the role as an Englishman in Ireland- not moot sailing nor a popular appointment I’m guessing.
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@Jimmy-Jimmy said in All Blacks 2026:
@Yeetyaah I agree.
Fuck AI.
How the hell can a fucking robot understand the emotions involved in being an AB supporter.
I want to be on here with people who know the joy and the angst that comes with bleeding black.
It sounds like your saying a passionate and battle scarred AB fan shouldn’t look at info from other sources ? Or did I get that wrong?
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@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2026:
Not to bash a dead horse but some more confirmation about what I posted way up the thread.
I had a catch up with a former All Black today that is still heavily in rugby circles. He said what he was hearing in his circles was that Razor had completely lost the locker room and that it was very much unresolvable(the fern already knew this) and a matter of time before it happened. The fact he had palmed things off to Scott Hansen only made things worse as a lot of the players didn’t like him. Was a pretty unanimous decision by all accounts.
Said no doubt he’s a decent coach but did say it makes you wonder how much having top quality cattle at the Crusaders masked over other deficiencies. It’s clearly a different beast at international level as was exposed pretty quickly.
Good to know that it isn’t just your average joes out here hearing stuff like this and running with it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Wasn't entirely cattle at the Crusaders, he and Deans won a lot, Blackadder didn't (obviously the earthquakes affected that a bit), so ability had something to do with it.
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@Godder said in All Blacks 2026:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2026:
Not to bash a dead horse but some more confirmation about what I posted way up the thread.
I had a catch up with a former All Black today that is still heavily in rugby circles. He said what he was hearing in his circles was that Razor had completely lost the locker room and that it was very much unresolvable(the fern already knew this) and a matter of time before it happened. The fact he had palmed things off to Scott Hansen only made things worse as a lot of the players didn’t like him. Was a pretty unanimous decision by all accounts.
Said no doubt he’s a decent coach but did say it makes you wonder how much having top quality cattle at the Crusaders masked over other deficiencies. It’s clearly a different beast at international level as was exposed pretty quickly.
Good to know that it isn’t just your average joes out here hearing stuff like this and running with it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Wasn't entirely cattle at the Crusaders, he and Deans won a lot, Blackadder didn't (obviously the earthquakes affected that a bit), so ability had something to do with it.
For whatever reason he was unable to adjust his formula to make it work with the ABs.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
If we are reliant on AI (which pulls its words from Reddit) to help us know who our next Head Coach should be, then our problems are even more serious than I thought.
This.
Speaking for myself, I come here because there is educated discussion from people who know and care about rugby. The quality shits on reddit/facebook/whatever. If people are going to post AI - which is basically a summary of the shit sources, it defeats the purpose of this site. -
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2026:
f people are going to post AI - which is basically a summary of the shit sources, it defeats the purpose of this site.
I've used AI for a few things (not for posting) and it uses TSF as a source too....just saying
