adminNew Zealand rugby boss Mark Robinson has dismissed criticism coming his way from Steve Hansen and David Moffett and insisted he will get the All Blacks back on track.
Robinson has previously kept his counsel while a full blown crisis burns down under, with Hansen saying the New Zealand Board should undertake a review into themselves and Moffett calling for chief executive Robinson to resign.
The outcry forms the backdrop to underfire coach Ian Foster taking his team to South Africa for back-to-back Rugby Championship Tests with the world champion Springboks.
Asked about the barrage coming his way, Robinson first addressed the remarks made by Hansen, the former World Cup winning coach.
“He is someone I have known for a long time and I know he is passionate about the game and New Zealand,” Robinson told broadcast outlet Newstalk ZB. “He has made a great contribution to it. I have certainly reached out to him and we will have a catch-up at some stage.
He said some things that I wouldn’t agree with and we will have that conversation. I know he is also incredibly protective of Ian and he is protecting his mate too – and we understand that.”
Of Moffett’s scathing assessment of the way Robinson was running the game, the chief executive responded: “The organisation is on a really exciting and solid path at the moment. We are involved in some really exciting, constructive and positive stuff that can transform our game for the future.
“I’m really committed to that, I’m really privileged to be in the role, I love the role and being part of what we’re building at New Zealand Rugby in a really strong team. I came into the role knowing that eventually there would be situations like this where people have strong views around things like that.
“You have to learn to accept that, don’t you? It’s no different than any of the key public leadership roles in New Zealand.”
However, Robinson appeared to offer no guarantees on the future of Foster’s role as coach when quizzed upon that delicate subject.
“I’m not going to speculate on things like that. We’re really focused and have spent time in the last 10 days primarily around focusing on our people internally,” Robinson said.
New Zealand have lost four of their last five Tests, including three to Ireland, and desperately need to bounce back against the Springboks.
New Zealand front row legend Carl Hayman is adamant the team will bounce back from their current woes and become a major force again in time for next year’s World Cup in France.
“History shows us that a lot can happen in a year. The favourite of a World Cup has not always been the winner, far from it. The reverse is also true,” he told a French newspaper.
“ In 2011, for example, France reached the final after a poor group stage and a defeat against Tonga. The final, the French should certainly have won it, if we are honest.
“This shows how quickly a dynamic can be reversed. It’s not too late for New Zealand.
“It has been a very long time since we have experienced such periods of difficulty. There is frustration and the supporters are very vocal. I try to keep a little more perspective. I believe that professional sport is made of cycles. New Zealand have often been dominant, it’s true, and they really experienced an exceptional period after the failure of 2007.
“This was the starting point of a great era. But the idols of the titles of 2011 and 2015 have retired. We have to rebuild. This is our current cycle. That takes time.
“There is enormous pressure on Foster and the results put him in trouble, but I will give him time to finish this year, to defend his chances and his work during the Rugby Championship and then the autumn tour.”
– Walesonline
Online Reporter