The Coaching Saga That Rocked the All Blacks

Sam Whitelock, a legend in the All Blacks jersey, has shared his candid account of the tumultuous period in 2022 when the team’s coaching future hung in the balance. The drama unfolded as Ian Foster, then head coach, struggled to maintain the team’s dominance, leading to calls for his replacement. Enter Scott Robertson, the highly successful Crusaders coach, who was widely seen as the front-runner to take over. This put Whitelock, a Crusaders veteran under Robertson’s leadership, in a tricky position.

Whitelock, in his autobiography, “Samuel Whitelock: View from the Second Row,” describes the intense pressure surrounding the coaching saga. “The one thing we hadn’t done consistently over the past four years was more important: winning. We had set a number of unwanted records, which was always going to put the spotlight on the coach,” he writes.

He goes on to detail the uncomfortable situation, stating, “At times it was uncomfortable. I had been captain of a successful Crusaders side who had won multiple titles under Robertson, and it was no secret that if Fozzie lost his job then Razor would be taking over.”

Despite the speculation, Whitelock remained committed to his role, saying, “I wouldn’t say it put me in an awkward position, because I knew my lane and stuck to it, but I also knew that people wanted to know what I really thought. Well, what I really thought was that it was somebody else’s decision to make, and that I would give 100 per cent to whoever coached me.”

The Defining Moment: A Victory That Saved Foster’s Job

A turning point arrived in the form of a thrilling victory over the Springboks in Johannesburg. It was a victory that, as Whitelock puts it, “saved Foster’s job.”

“It’s no great secret that our win over South Africa at Johannesburg in August 2022 saved Foster’s job. We were coming off five losses in six Tests, including that unprecedented home-series loss to Ireland,” he writes.

The victory sparked a movement among the players to plead for Foster’s retention. “As part of the leadership group I was among them, but I can honestly say I was blindsided by the idea. Others in the group were really keen on going, while some members of the squad didn’t even have a clue it was happening,” Whitelock reveals.

However, Whitelock expresses reservations about the players’ influence on the decision, stating, “Was it the right thing to do? Good question. It’s a sticking point for me because, as I’ve said, it is not our job as players to back or sack the coach. If you flip that scenario on its head and we had a group of players approaching the CEO to have a popular coach sacked, how do you think that would be received by the public? What we had was a group of emotional people, in an emotional situation, influencing decisions that should not be based on emotion.”

A Difficult Position, A Difficult Decision

Whitelock also sheds light on the behind-the-scenes preparations for a potential coaching change. He reveals that NZR had already started planning for Robertson’s takeover. “The world’s worst-kept secret was that Razor was basically given the word by NZR leadership to start assembling his coaching team around that time. It’s been widely reported, so I’m not talking out of school,” he states.

He acknowledges the challenging position he was in, having strong relationships with both Foster and Robertson. “It’s true that I felt stuck in the middle. I have relationships with Razor and Fozzie that are built on trust, and while they’re different relationships, I value them both,” he writes.

Whitelock insists that his reticence to take sides wasn’t due to indifference but rather a deliberate attempt to remain objective. “I know people find it frustrating that I am hazy on this subject but it is not indifference – it is more that I have always needed to look at it dispassionately. I knew that there was a good chance that if I planted my flag on one or the other’s mast and the other person got the job, then I would be compromised. I didn’t allow myself to have a strong opinion one way or the other as to whether Team Robertson should be brought in or Team Foster should be retained and I can’t suddenly retroactively form one for the sake of a headline.”

The Trickiest Period of a Legendary Career

Whitelock, a player who has witnessed and contributed to numerous All Blacks victories, describes this period as the “trickiest” of his career. “The trickiest period I’ve had to negotiate in this respect was, not surprisingly, during the Ian Foster/Scott Robertson debate which in reality covered nearly the entirety of the 2020 to 2023 World Cup cycle,” he writes.

He candidly reflects on the team’s struggles, acknowledging that they were “losing in ways they never had before.” This, coupled with Robertson’s impressive track record, created a complex scenario that put immense pressure on Foster’s position. “Fozzie was always going to be a favourite to get the top job when Shag retired at the end of 2019, but Razor’s success at every level he had worked at, from age-group through to Super Rugby, made him a genuinely compelling candidate.”

Whitelock’s story provides a compelling glimpse into the internal dynamics of a high-stakes team, highlighting the complexities of loyalty, leadership, and the pressure that comes with representing a nation. It is a reminder that even the most decorated players face difficult decisions and challenging situations in the pursuit of sporting excellence.