Scott Robertson isn't that great at masking his emotions. Last week, the disappointment of his first loss as All Black coach was etched on his face and obvious in his shortness with discussing it. However, after the resounding win over the Pumas at Eden Park, the excitement about what's coming next was just as hard for Robertson to contain.
"Just naturally, you look forward to the next game quickly. These tours don't come around that often, especially that Johannesburg-Cape Town combo," said Robertson, touching on the two iconic South African rugby cities that the All Blacks are headed to.
"It's always good to get on tour. There's an old-school feeling around it, like the old days when you'd get up in the middle of the night and everyone gets their marshmallows out or whatever they do to watch the All Blacks play. We've reflected quickly on the opportunity ahead of us and made sure we talked about what we did well last week."
The All Blacks' next test is a showdown with the Springboks in a rematch of last year's World Cup final, with the cauldron of Ellis Park awaiting on September 1 (NZT). However, it's a ground that Robertson has happy memories of the last time he was there, when he led the Crusaders to a Super Rugby title win over the Lions there in 2017.
Crusaders head coach, Scott Robertson doing the victory dance during the 2017 Super Rugby Final match. Photo: Photosport
"You draw on all lived experiences in the rugby world on and off the field, and how you get those weeks right. It's a hell of an occasion and you have to play your part in it," he said when asked about how that experience would help in the coming weeks.
One of the main talking points about playing the Springboks is the relative unfamiliarity of the South African game and its players, now that they are five seasons removed from Super Rugby. 12 of the current All Black squad's careers began after the pandemic-enforced divorce, something that Robertson is well aware of.
"A lot of them haven't played against South African teams or been away, so there's an excitement there too. There's different styles, there's different body types…they (the Springboks) have been pretty innovative and evolved over the last few games. It's going to be great for test match rugby."
The last time the All Blacks played at Ellis Park it was in the middle of the most dramatic, emotional and often bitter period of Ian Foster's tenure as coach, with the pressure on the team to perform at an arguably higher level than any other time. They responded with one of the most defining performances in All Black history, winning 35-23 and setting off a chain of events that led to Foster keeping his job through to the World Cup.
David Havili during the South Africa Springboks v New Zealand All Blacks rugby union test match at Ellis Park, 2022. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Robertson acknowledged that the senior players in the squad will be relied upon to guide the inexperienced players.
"A lot of the leaders who have been there and experienced it before will tell it how it is."
However, the involvement of some is touch and go.
"We've got the next two days to make a call on who goes to South Africa," said Robertson in regard to his injured players.
"Patrick Tuipulotu, Luke Jacobson and Ethan de Groot…we'll make a call on them Wednesday."
The Springboks will go into the two test series having comfortably won both of the Rugby Championship fixtures against the Wallabies. The All Blacks have won the annual tournament for the last four seasons but will need to get results on this trip if they are to retain the title.
