COMMENT: Bumbling NZR throw Foster's ABs RWC campaign under the bus and taint Razor's moment of triumph

Ah McCain, you’ve done it again! Just when you thought the New Zealand Rugby board might have learned from their mistakes, they have outdone themselves once more.

Let’s get one thing straight: NZR’s decision to appoint Scott Robertson as their next All Blacks coach was the right appointment. The 48-year-old was the obvious candidate and quite frankly, the appointment was three years too late.

But once again, they have put the cart ahead of the horse.

Three years ago, they acted unilaterally by farewelling South Africa without a second thought. They asked Rugby Australia – their neighbours – for two, and no more, franchises to apply to join their Super Rugby competition.

Next, they went off and tried to sign off on a private equity deal with Silver Lake without bringing their stakeholders with them.

Now, with Ian Foster sleeping through the night in Paris, they didn’t even have the courtesy of telling the current All Blacks coach first-hand of Tuesday’s appointment.

Instead, CEO Mark Robinson simply brushed it off by saying he’s in a “different time zone” and the NZR has tried to “reach out and have that chat if we can”.

If we can! Wow.

NZR CEO Mark Robinson was unable to ensure that Ian Foster knew about Scott Robertson’s appointment before the governing body’s announcement. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Those three words are extraordinary and show the arrogance of the current NZR board. They’ve done an Australian Rugby Union on themselves.

For three years the NZR have been second-guessing themselves over appointing Foster as Steve Hansen’s successor.

Less than a year ago, in August, Robertson was lined up to take over from Foster had they lost a second straight Test to start The Rugby Championship against the Springboks.

A brilliant fightback and a couple of crucial officiating decisions helped save Foster, as the NZR backed him into the World Cup. The Bledisloe was retained, but the spring tour was less than convincing.

Then, before a ball in Super Rugby had been kicked this year, Robertson let the cat out of the bag that he was happy with the imminent timeline of applying to become the next All Blacks coach. Like a Cheshire Cat, Robertson’s reaction said it all.

The NZR was left behind the eight-ball, beaten to the announcement by the next in line to the throne. Foster, who was concentrating on pulling the team together, was left frustrated by yet another distraction.

Now, he’s merely a dead man walking.

All Black Head Coach Ian Foster (L) and NZR CEO Mark Robinson (R) have a fractured relationship. Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images

No one, except for perhaps some of the team, believe Foster is the right man to take the All Blacks through to the World Cup.

If they stumble during TRC, or indeed in their World Cup opener against France, the knives will come out. Players will second-guess themselves.

Before Dave Rennie was brutally sacked, senior leaders were waiting for RA to act. Few believed Rennie was safe.

Players aren’t fools. They play dumb at times but like Benoit Blanc solving a murder before it had been committed, they sensed something in the air after three years of frustrating results.

Rugby Australia made a brutal but brave call on sacking Rennie and appointing Eddie Jones. They didn’t dilly-dally around the decision.

They now have a free swing for this year’s World Cup.

No one expects the Wallabies to progress far in the World Cup. Anything more than a quarter-final, which is highly possible given the generous World Cup draw, will be a positive result. From there, one strong performance will move them to an inch of the Webb Ellis Cup.

Head coach Ian Foster and Sam Cane have an uphill battle during this year’s World Cup season. Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

As for the All Blacks, their task has been made even more difficult.

Robinson quite rightly was asked how Foster could have “100 per cent support” from the NZR when you’re replacing him.

“Well, we’re not,” he defensively said.

“As we said through last year, he has 100 per cent support through to the World Cup. We’ve been very clear and consistent on that.

“We’re doing everything we possibly can to make sure this team has all the support it can to be successful – and we’ll continue to do that.

“We’re like everyone in New Zealand that we only want the best for this team over the next six or seven months and we’ll carry on doing that. This is a day to recognise Scott’s appointment and tomorrow we’re back into doing everything we can around all of our national programs, but especially the All Blacks in a Rugby World Cup year.”

Indeed, Robertson’s appointment should have been a day of celebration, of recognition.

The former All Blacks back-rower’s coaching record is incredible.

Dame Patsy Reddy, newly announced All Blacks Coach Scott Robertson and NZR CEO Mark Robinson speak to the media during at NZ Rugby House on March 21, 2023. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

He has led the Crusaders to six straight Super Rugby titles since taking over the side. Along the way, he became the first Crusaders coach since Robbie Deans in 2008 to lead the franchise to a Super Rugby title.

He has developed new players, made brave captaincy calls from the outset and continually managed to get more out of the Crusaders than they possibly could have imagined. In Eddie Jones’ words, Robertson is managing to extract the missing per cent that players never knew existed in them.

The NZR’s coaching appointment process has been a cock-up from the outset.

It is one of the most prestigious jobs in the world yet very few (no wonder why the NZR did not want to reveal who and how many applied) world-class coaches applied. It merely was a two-horse race between Robertson and Jamie Joseph, particularly when Joe Schmidt pulled out.

Now they have left Foster between a rock and a hard place.

Success, as John Eales often cites and Stirling Mortlock has previously too, is found when there is alignment between the board, coach and captain.

Any chance of ensuring a positive relationship through to the World Cup was blown when the NZR didn’t even have the courtesy of letting the current coach know about Tuesday’s announcement.

He will wake to emails – and likely a barrage of texts and missed phone calls – alerting him first of the NZR’s announcement.

The decision shows the entitlement and sheer arrogance of the current board.