Razor's latest All Blacks strategy gets slammed
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson has caused a big stir with his latest plan for the international squad.
Aside from alleviating New Zealand’s eligibility rule, which would allow overseas-based players to play for the All Blacks, Robertson is also busy creating several hybrid players.
The former Crusaders boss wants players who can feature in four positions in the squad in the future.
His ploy has seen multiple players play different positions in 2025 for their Super Rugby Pacific teams, like Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett both playing fullback rather than flyhalf, and Timoci Tavatavanawai playing centre rather than on the wing.
In the opening round of the Super Rugby Pacific season, McKenzie and Barret both started in the respective number 15 jerseys as the Chiefs claimed a 25-14 victory over the Blues at Eden Park.
It’s pretty tight 😬https://t.co/3IaE1bTtpv
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) February 16, 2025
In the wake of the showdown, former All Blacks scrumhalf Justin Marshall questioned the new ploy, stating it is ‘detrimental’.
“I think it’s detrimental to be perfectly honest,” Marshall said on Sports Nation when asked about hybrid players in key positions.
“I’ll be able to sit down and have a beer with Scott Robertson over this, and he’ll disagree with me because he wants hybrid players.
“He wants players that can play at least four positions, in certain jerseys.”
Marshall believes that the players aren’t getting enough game time specifically in the jersey that they may wear for the All Blacks.
“But in my mind when I look at some of the key jerseys, and No.10 is another one, do they play fullback? Do they play flyhalf?
“They’re not getting enough time in the jersey to go through adversity I’d like to see someone like Damian McKenzie or Beauden Barrett, play the entire Super Rugby competition in that jersey and work their way through problems.
“Being a good 10 is solving problems like in a game, and being able to then change the picture, change the game plan, the dynamic, kick strategy, all of that sort of stuff comes into it.
“You can’t do that when you’re finding yourself in different areas of the field.”
The 81-Test former All Black urged the Super Rugby Pacific coaches to play the people in whatever position they want their players to, rather than what the All Blacks coaches suggest.
“But ultimately if you’re strong enough as a Super Rugby coach, then you know that your head is on the chopping block.
“So you’ve got to pick the players and the jerseys that you feel is going to benefit your team and keep you your job.
“If they raise it, you want him playing 15, but at the end of the day, what’s best for my team now and the way I want to coach a side, is he plays N0.10.”
When Marshall is asked about why Robertson wants to persist with the hybrid roles that players are doing nowadays, he claims that Robertson may feel like the longer they play in his system, the better they will be.
“I guess he could argue that he’s trying to get to a certain place and the team playing a type of game that he feels suits those types of hybrid players, once they grow into it, they will be very hard to stop.”
*Additional source: Rugbypass
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