If Scott Robertson is the best coach he should lead All Blacks now – Chris Rattue’s winners and losers

OPINION:

Chris Rattue performs the Winners and Losers of Sports Week.

WINNER… BUT: Scott Robertson

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) was just four years late in the coaching change it needed to make
is not bad for her.

They still didn’t go fast or far enough for my money.

Why keep Ian Foster – a coach they clearly don’t trust – for this year’s World Cup?

It makes no sense when the World Cup has become the be-all and end-all of rugby.

If bosses think Scott Robertson is the best coach, he should be leading the team now.

The energy boost alone would give the All Blacks a better chance of lifting the trophy in 2023.

The problem is that NZR is still moving far too slowly. It doesn’t understand the world of professional sports.

It may have tied itself to Foster for this year’s World Cup, although late last year it was clear – even to them – that he was failing.

Four months have passed since the All Blacks’ last Test, a hugely unsatisfactory draw with England – a team in disarray themselves – at Twickenham.

What the hell have they been doing all this time?

With Robertson appointed just last week, the Crusaders boss would likely struggle to assemble a coaching staff in time.

Rugby generally spends eons investigating things that are obvious to everyone else.

Sport has had it so easy in this country for so long that it still lacks the necessary desperation in a crisis.

Otherwise, congratulations to Scott Robertson, a most successful breath of fresh air.

And we’ve finally severed ties with the old guard who hijacked the game. Hallelujah.

WINNER: Andrew Webster

It’s hard to remember a Warriors side that has put together such consistently somber NRL performances, most recently a thrilling win over the Bulldogs in front of a lively crowd at Mt Smart Stadium. The new manager is on track to achieve a remarkable makeover of a notoriously scaly side.

WINNER: Danny Lee

The Kiwi might go down in history as golf’s least likely beneficiary of PGA LIV dogfighting – a journeyman-turned-tournament-winning-turned-$6M man.

LOSER, LOSER, LOSER: Zane Robertson

The lying and cheating Kiwi athlete’s excuses were pathetic. Citing depression and his divorce is offensive.

Even Robertson might see the irony in his claim that his use of EPO was partly due to the fact that elite sport “is not a level playing field”.

WINNER: Jake Robertson

Zane Robertson’s running twin Jake has found some of the most memorable quotes of all time from a New Zealand athlete.

“I had no control over being born a twin…but I’m still paying the price for my brother’s mistake,” he wrote.

“I didn’t choose my family and I can’t escape my bloodline.”

WINNER: Matatū… and the fickle finger of fate

A great South Island comeback saw them upset Chiefs Manawa in the women’s super rugby final.

The Manawa should have retained their unbeaten Aupiki record, but Tenika Willison missed a dying penalty attempt.

As the World Cup showed, when France’s goalscorer missed her chance to oust the Black Ferns, history and reputation are defined by such moments.

But I think most neutrals would be happy that a major rugby final wasn’t decided by one of those convoluted ruck penalties.

LOSER: Super Rugby

What absolute boredom, a situation highlighted by a match at Eden Park between a non-X-factor Western Force team versus the Blues Lite. Yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn.

WINNER: The All Whites

Yes that is true. You won a game and scored a goal. And not ahead of time.

And I just love how deep midfielder Joe Bell plays. He may be my favorite All White of all time due to his intricate passing game, composure and interpretation of the game.

Further and up.

Whilst New Zealand’s virtual sweepstakes to the World Cup finals will henceforth remove the chance of thrilling qualifiers, if you look at it more closely it’s probably a boon to the game here.

I can’t wait to see the likes of Bell and Liberato Cacace play the 2026 Fifa tournament in North America to judge if this supposedly golden generation lives up to the hype.

Next question: Will injury-plagued mystery man Ryan Thomas ever show up in the All Whites jersey again (and who will be the coach, of course)?

WINNER: World Athletics ban on Russian athletes

The world must do everything it can to pressure Russia, whose pathetic leader is waging a hideous war in Ukraine.

It was encouraging to see a sports leader put it so clearly.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The death and destruction we have seen in Ukraine over the past year, including the deaths of about 185 athletes, has only increased my resolve.”

However, things get difficult when it turns out that China is actively supporting the war effort.

WINNER: League History/Tighthead

Australian sport can make history – the tributes to league greats John Sattler were one example.

Souths marked his death with a stylized torn club logo on his shirt, the broken rabbit a reminder of Sattler’s great exploits in the final over 50 years ago.

There was another walk down memory lane in the final round of NRL games – a real scrum win by Melbourne Storm over the feed helped them stave off a comeback from the Wests Tigers.

WINNER: An unbelievable cricket statistic

New Zealand has three current players with Test batting averages over 50 – Kane Williamson (obviously), Devon Conway (unsurprisingly) and Daryl Mitchell (unbelievable).

WINNER: Tim Southee

Its Cricket Test captain has an impressive role to play, although this rare breed known as Spark Sport subscribers are about the only people allowed to see them.

Maybe that helps explain why hardly anyone turned up for the ODI game against Sri Lanka at Eden Park. Or maybe not.

WINNER: The Wallabies

They were once the great innovators of world rugby and always hit above their weight.

They haven’t had a decent win for a long time, but the signing of league defender Joseph Suaalii from the Sydney Roosters is a major coup.

The teenager is one hell of an athlete with a brutal game, as anyone who saw him in action for Toa Samoa at last year’s Rugby League World Cup would know.

The overwhelming league tournament in England may have helped convince the young giants that rugby would be a good idea for now. That and of course the money.

WINNER/LOSER: David Light

The Auckland cruiserweight was well beaten by Brit Lawrence Okolie in his WBO title bid in Manchester.

Okolie has incredible reach with cherry picker arms. Light could barely get a decent shot.

But he was brave to the end, taking punches that commentators said dropped most other fighters in the division.

WINNER/LOSER: World Match Play Golf

The Texas championship was a refreshing winner, although it was a huge disappointment that a glamorous showdown between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy was ruined by their semifinal losses.

It was staggering to learn that the tournament with a format so appealing in a stroke play dominated golf world is set to be scrapped.