Ellis Park legacy on the line for Scott Robertson’s men

By Liam Napier

Love affair with Africa

The altitude, hostile atmosphere, and the reigning world champions. The Springboks in South Africa is rugby’s greatest test. With its towering stands and proximity to the field, no venue in world rugby quite compares to Ellis Park, which only enhances the All Blacks recent record there.

Two years ago the upset triumph that saved Ian Foster’s job was the second win on the bounce for the All Blacks, and their third victory from their last four tests, at Ellis Park. In that stretch, the 27-25 loss in 2014 is the All Blacks’ sole defeat at the 1995 World Cup final venue.

Scott Robertson has fond memories at the Boks’ spiritual home, too, after leading the Crusaders to their Super Rugby title in 2017 with a comeback victory over the Lions that broke an eight-year drought and marked the start of the red-and-black’s unrivalled seven-year championship run.

With five successes from their last six tests, there is something undeniably special about South Africa that traditionally inspires the best from the pro-era All Blacks.

It wasn’t always this way, though.

The All Blacks played their maiden test in South Africa in 1928, losing 0-17 in Durban – and didn’t savour their first breakthrough series success until 1996. These days the All Blacks have held the Freedom Cup for the past 15 years.

That leaves this team with a legacy to uphold as rugby’s greatest rivalry reignites.

Robertson’s All Blacks start rank underdogs this weekend – it’s difficult to recall a time when they were as wide as the $2.90 with local bookies earlier this week – but with the Springboks missing four locks and starting a green first five-eighth and fullback, there are openings to exploit.

Tony Brown inside oil
At a time when departing assistants from the All Blacks and England are the talk of the rugby world, Tony Brown’s presence looms into full view.

Brown is the one who got away from New Zealand rugby.

As far back as 2019, Ian Foster and Scott Robertson attempted to lure Brown to join their respective All Blacks coaching teams as they contested the right to succeed Steve Hansen. Both missed out on Brown, as he remained loyal to his long-time association with Jamie Joseph to instead link with Japan for four years.

Last year Joseph, with Brown as his running mate, went head-to-head with Robertson as New Zealand Rugby made the unprecedented move of appointing the next All Blacks head coach prior to the World Cup.

With Robertson anointed to replace Foster this year, and Joseph settling back in Dunedin with the Highlanders, Brown jetted off to join, and significantly improve, Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks.

It should not surprise that, with Brown now ensconced in his management team, Erasmus has the confidence to back 22-year-old first five-eighth Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and 26-year-old fullback Aphelele Fassi, who share 12 tests between them, to start over the experienced Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux against the All Blacks this weekend.

While they will forever embrace their traditional set piece, maul and forward-led power strengths, the Springboks have evolved their game to harness vastly more attacking endeavour compared to their knife-edge World Cup campaign that featured three successive one-point knockout wins.

From his favoured bag of kicking tricks to the depth of the backline and other set plays, Brown’s innovations have been clear in the Springboks’ evolution for all rugby observers, including the All Blacks.

“He’s had, from what I believe and what we’ve seen, an instant impact on how they’re playing,” All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan said this week. “There’s a few shorter lineouts and that sort of thing and some more variation. He’s made an impact on them for sure.”

Springboks centre Jesse Kriel added of Brown: “He’s brought a great energy and a great way of seeing attack. I think he’s got the guys in the room really excited. He’s got us playing a really exciting brand of rugby. It’s really important to get on the field and be excited about how you want to play. I think you can see a bit of change. But you keep the core of what you’ve built on for the last couple of years.”

While Brown has enhanced the Springboks his inside knowledge of the All Blacks could be equally telling. Brown coached, and despite the Highlanders’ limited resources, had some success against the All Blacks-laden Robertson-Scott Hansen-Ryan Crusaders.

Brown knows New Zealand’s players and game intimately. In terms of intellectual property, the All Blacks could rue his defection.

MacDonald bust-up
Leon MacDonald’s abrupt exit casts a lingering shadow over Robertson’s first tour as All Blacks head coach. Two tests in the Republic were always going to be an early litmus test of Robertson’s tenure but the sudden breakdown that sparked MacDonald’s immediate departure intensifies the spotlight.

The fallout, hefty financial compensation and team disruptions, sit squarely at Robertson’s feet after assembling his coaching team 18 months ago, only for MacDonald to depart after five tests due to unresolvable differences.

Maybe the All Blacks will shake off the reshuffled coaching portfolios that involve Hansen assuming responsibility for the attack alongside Jason Holland, and Tamati Ellison significantly upgraded from part-time contact coach to owning the defence.

A 1-1 return against the Springboks in South Africa would be acceptable but if the All Blacks don’t click in their African cauldron, serious questions will be asked as to how and why Robertson didn’t identify issues with MacDonald from the outset.

Robust debates are healthy within a coaching team but, clearly, this split could not be mended. With three of Robertson’s four assistants now from the Crusaders, there should be no such challenges with clarity.

World Cup final rematch
It won’t be front of mind as such, more a nagging frustration, but the hurt of losing the World Cup final by one point will linger for many of the All Blacks. While this is a new coaching crew, 20 players from last year’s World Cup remain in the All Blacks touring squad. Nothing will ever replace the Webb Ellis Cup. The All Blacks present that night in Paris will never get over coming so close, within one missed kick, but defeating the Springboks at home would help the healing.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission