Australia coach Eddie Jones has criticised New Zealand Rugby for how they handled the appointment of Scott Robertson as All Blacks head coach.
NZR on Tuesday announced that “Razor” will take over as All Blacks coach after this year’s World Cup, tapping him to lead a once all-conquering side that has been plagued by on- and off-field woes.
The Crusaders boss will take up one of the sport’s most coveted jobs after the tournament in France – impressing selectors despite questions over his lack of pedigree at the international level.
Jones has congratulated Robertson, yet the Australian has raised an eyebrow at NZR’s handling of the coaching process, given that the messy recruitment process has angered incumbent Ian Foster, who urged his bosses to hold off until the World Cup was finished because it would be too distracting.
“I think it’s really poor how New Zealand Rugby have done it. Ian Foster is here now – he’s a good man and he’s given a lot to New Zealand rugby, as assistant coach and head coach,” Jones was quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
“The timing is inappropriate – leading into a World Cup, naming their head coach beforehand just causes another distraction they don’t need.
“It could have a real galvanising effect on the team. They’ll want to really work together and work for their coach but there’s also that social media bit that’s different in the game now – it’ll be putting different thoughts into the players’ heads and that’s hard to control.
“There’s so much extra noise now and there will be extra noise with Robertson coming in.
“I saw a bit of the media conference and they’re already asking what’s going to be different – will those questions be asked to the players? They probably will be. What’s the effect it will have on the players? Nobody really knows.”
Jones, who was dumped by England in December, will start his second tenure with the Wallabies in July when their Rugby Championship kicks off against the Springboks in Pretoria.
He added: “Maybe if [NZ Rugby] had their time again they’d handle it a little bit differently but that seems to be the way of the world now.
“Having experienced both sides of it myself, it’s a changing world for professional coaches in rugby and they’re starting to move to more of a football model where if three games aren’t very good then your fourth game better be good or you get the phone call to come to training.
“The chairman wants to meet you at 8am and you know it’s not for avocado on toast.”
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