All Black coach Robertson to 'walk towards' adversity
SPOTLIGHT: Scott Robertson is a man who embraces pressure and he knows it will reach new heights in his tenure as head coach of the All Blacks.
Despite reaching this year’s World Cup Final, the All Blacks have endured a bit of a turbulent period under Ian Foster in the last few seasons which led to Robertson being labelled a potential “saviour” by some in New Zealand.
“It’s an interesting narrative. I just back myself and the rest works out,” Robertson said in an interview with Newstalk ZB.
“I’ve got some good people around me; I think that’s the first thing. I’ve got an incredible pitch-in group.
“They bring a lot of ideas to life. One thing, I’m an ideas man so I need people to close and finish for me.
“For the team, I’m going to have a really good story and a theme that will drive a lot of our passion, a lot of our connection piece to the public. That’s something and I love and what the jersey deserves.”
With the All Blacks being such a big part of New Zealand’s culture and psyche, Robertson knows that every decision he makes will be scrutinised.
“It’s part of the job. People are going to write an article if you win or lose and then people are going to write another article to create content,” he said. “That’s opinion pieces, columnists – that’s part of who we are.
“You have to deal with that, you have to be strong, you have to be very thick-skinned, you have to understand it’s coming but make sure you have a really good support base.”
He added: “Adversity is going to come, it’s how you deal with it and your mindset towards it. That’s the way I shape it in my mind.
“I love it. I want the arena; I want the big stage. It excites me, so I walk towards that.”
Source: Newstalk ZB & NZ Herald
