Scott Robertson reveals changes to Super Rugby load management for ABs

By Christopher Reive

Scott Robertson has confirmed he will make changes to the minute management plans of All Blacks in Super Rugby Pacific, moving to an individualised approach to load management this year.

Rather than a blanket rule for all All Blacks playing in Super Rugby Pacific, Robertson will implement a player-specific restriction plan that will see minutes distribution dependent on the player and what will allow them to be at their best come test season.

In recent seasons, All Blacks have been limited to playing no more than five games in a row and the uncertainty of player availability was highlighted as a sticking point among fans in last year’s New Zealand rugby governance review.

Under Robertson’s model, players will still have to observe rest weeks, but there will be flexibility around when those rest weeks are observed, based on the player’s workload and the team’s draw. The Herald understands there will be a requirement for two rest weeks, but there is the opportunity for players to feature in more than the previous threshold of five games in a row before observing one.

However, high-minute players from the previous season are likely to observe a few games where they play limited minutes on top of their two rest weeks to ensure they are fresh for the Super Rugby Pacific finals series and the test season.

“You can’t expect they’re going to play 17 games and then go and play 14 tests. They’re not going to play 31 games this year, and players aren’t going to play 17 games of Super Rugby and get them peaking for finals footy,” Robertson said.

“They’re going to have to be managed, and what does that individual athlete need... then it’s individualised conversations, medical are involved, and we’re open and honest.

“It’s a fine balance for everyone.”

Robertson, who coached the Crusaders to seven titles in the past seven seasons, comes into the All Blacks set-up with the benefit of having spent time coaching at Super level and having an idea of how player management has worked for athletes in the past.

He’s not the only one in the All Blacks coaching teams to come straight from leading a Super Rugby team, with Leon MacDonald (Blues) and Jason Holland (Hurricanes) among his assistants for the national team.

An individual management system could avoid similar situations to one faced by Robertson last season, when the Crusaders had to seek an exemption to allow Scott Barrett to play despite being due a rest week because the club had so many injuries in the loose forward stocks.

Holland also had his run-ins with the mandatory rest weeks, drawing criticism for resting both Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett for the Hurricanes’ clash against the Chiefs in their third-to-last game of the regular season.

“We’ve collaborated on what’s best for every individual athlete rather than having a rule as such,” Robertson said of the new model.

“It’s gone down really well and it’s started the process to get the best for them and us.”

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