All Blacks 2026
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb That's a negative spin on things.
Here are their coaching career highlights:
Jamie Joseph: 2015 Super Rugby Champion with the Highlanders; Led Japan to their first-ever Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 2019; Popular and successful coach of the All Blacks XV in 2025 on their undefeated northern tour.
Joe Schmidt: Won two Pro12 titles with Leinster; Won three Six Nations titles with Ireland, a Grand Slam in 2018; Guided Ireland to world Number 1 ranking; Assistant Coach of the All Blacks who made the World Cup Final in 2023.
Dave Rennie: Coached Wellington to their first NPC win in 14 years; Coached New Zealand under 20s to three consecutive world titles; Coached the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Titles; Coached the Wallabies to back-to-back victories over the Springboks in 2021 and second place in the Rugby Championship.
Vern Cotter: Won European Challenge Cup and the Top 14 with Clermont Auvergne, Runners Up in the Heineken European Cup; Reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals with Scots before going out to Australia in a controversial manner, coached the Blues to their first Super title in 20 years.
Funny, but jamie Jospeh may have the least impressive record of those four.
getting the highlanders up to the Super title is epic. Like NZ winning the WTC. It's monstrous and won't be repeated for a very long time (if ever).
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
I don't think Henry or Hansen had particularly impressive CVs (if titles were the only metric) when they were appointed, did they?
I take it you're talking about a Henry and Hansen who hadn't won multiple championships between them from opposite ends of the country nor tried their luck overseas?
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2026:
I don't think Henry or Hansen had particularly impressive CVs (if titles were the only metric) when they were appointed, did they?
Graham Henry had been Head Coach when Auckland won the NPC four times in a row in the 1990s and when the Blues won the Super 12 in 1996 and 1997 and then "Technical Adviser" when they won in 2003. He did so well at Wales initially that he was known by the locals as "The Great Redeemer".
It didn't go so well for him with the British and Irish Lions in 2001 and when he got sacked by Wales in 2002. He has since said he was suffering from burnout and clinical depression at the time.
Steve Hansen had coached Canterbury to a couple of NPC wins and been assistant at the 1999-2001 Threepeat Crusaders. His time at Wales was much less successful, but he had been All Blacks Assistant from 2004 to 2011 and was the continuation candidate after the 2011 World Cup win and was clearly liked and respected by the players.
Sorry, wasn't clear but I was being slightly tongue in cheek following the assessment of the current crop from @jimmyb.
What I mean is that the results achieved by the likes of Rennie and Joseph are fairly comparable to those of Henry and Hansen.
Their great successes were largely in NZ, and certainly in Hansen's case, either at NPC level or as assistant coaches.
Henry only had one good season with Wales (and even then, they only finished third in the Six Nations and didn't make it past the quarter-finals of the RWC) while Hansen managed a paltry four wins from 19 matches. It wasn't the results or trophies in Europe that made them good options for the All Blacks, it was simply the experience. Rennie has similar experience, as do all of the other options (though Joseph's is in Japan, which is a different kettle of fish, and I'm not sure if that would count against him).
It's also why, as mentioned above, I'd argue for someone like McMillan to be involved in the set-up in an assistant role in the future. Almost beat the Lions in 2017 with a scratch NZ Barbarians side, achieved some very consistent results with the Chiefs (even if they didn't manage a title during his time in charge), four wins from four matches leading the All Blacks XV (and one from two as an assistant), similar success with the Maori All Blacks (including beating Ireland in 2022), and took over BOP in 2015 following a bottom-placed finish the prior year, taking them to Championship winners in 2019 and peaking at third in the Premiership in 2020. That, in my book, is a good enough CV to justify bringing him into the fold as an assistant with an eye to the future, once he's has a few years of experience in Europe.
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@mariner4life oh, him
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I don't have a problem with most of the coaches mentioned but note a few were criticised for being average to bad selectors (Schmidt in Ireland and Rennie in Australia for example don't know about Joseph) but for all I know that was regional bias.. But as for Joseph while he did well with the NZ XV is England A the team, the only team giving us a good comparison?
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2026:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2026:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2026:
@jimmyb That's a negative spin on things.
Here are their coaching career highlights:
Jamie Joseph: 2015 Super Rugby Champion with the Highlanders; Led Japan to their first-ever Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 2019; Popular and successful coach of the All Blacks XV in 2025 on their undefeated northern tour.
Joe Schmidt: Won two Pro12 titles with Leinster; Won three Six Nations titles with Ireland, a Grand Slam in 2018; Guided Ireland to world Number 1 ranking; Assistant Coach of the All Blacks who made the World Cup Final in 2023.
Dave Rennie: Coached Wellington to their first NPC win in 14 years; Coached New Zealand under 20s to three consecutive world titles; Coached the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Titles; Coached the Wallabies to back-to-back victories over the Springboks in 2021 and second place in the Rugby Championship.
Vern Cotter: Won European Challenge Cup and the Top 14 with Clermont Auvergne, Runners Up in the Heineken European Cup; Reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals with Scots before going out to Australia in a controversial manner, coached the Blues to their first Super title in 20 years.
Funny, but jamie Jospeh may have the least impressive record of those four.
getting the highlanders up to the Super title is epic. Like NZ winning the WTC. It's monstrous and won't be repeated for a very long time (if ever).
And that’s the problem with comparing coaches purely on the number of titles they’ve won. You have to take each coach’s achievements in the context of the team or teams they had at their disposal. It’s impossible to say what Joseph would’ve done with the Crusaders or what Robertson would’ve done with the Highlanders, but it would be silly not to acknowledge that one of those franchises is far better set up for success.
In any case, coaches should be assessed on more than just results, especially given the current situation and the ongoing discussion around player division. The question is who is best equipped to address the existing problems and get the All Blacks performing again.
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@ShaquilleOatmeal Worth noting that when Joseph did have some superstars with big personalities on board, the team capitulated.
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How do they solve the 'pick your assistants before we pick you' issue?
Potential assistant coaches let themselves be known to the board or are just approached after HC picked? -
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
