Rugby: All Blacks make changes to coaching staff, roles for Andrew Strawbridge, Mike Cron

Ian Foster, Head Coach of New Zealand looks on after the Autumn International match between Wales and New Zealand. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

The All Blacks have bolstered their coaching ranks with two additions, following a shaky end to the 2021 season. Liam Napier reports.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has revealed changes to his management team from this season, with Andrew Strawbridge to help oversee skills development and scrum guru Mike Cron to act as an informal mentor.

Despite signing new contracts through to the 2023 World Cup late last year the All Blacks assistant coaches were heavily scrutinised during their rigorous end of season review.

Forwards coach John Plumtree, scrum coach Greg Feek and attack coach Brad Mooar ultimately survived the review but Foster has now moved to bring in additional support, with a view to improving specific areas identified following successive losses to France and Ireland to conclude the 2021 test campaign.

Former Waikato fullback Strawbridge, who worked alongside Dave Rennie, Wayne Smith and Tom Coventry in guiding the Chiefs to back-to-back titles in 2012-13, will be added to the expanded All Blacks coaching group on a part-time basis to improve skills. That brief extends to handling, ball-carrying, body position and physicality.

While linking with the All Blacks, Strawbridge will this year retain his role as Waikato director of rugby.

"We've added Andrew Strawbridge as a skills consultant," Foster tells the Herald.

"When you look at the last three or four years with disruptions to preseasons, routines, our under-20s programme has been compromised through Covid. Part of our review is we need to grow our skill component on the attacking, contact, ball-carrying side of the game.

"Straws' role is to come in and work with the coaches to make sure we're grilling the detail of our skill programme in terms of what we're doing and how we're doing it during our weeks. It's some external eyes looking at the programme and offering some input.

"He's a very experienced coach. He's had a number of different roles. He's got a passion on the micro part of the game. He's got a passion for working with coaches to enhance how they implement their plans. He's an added resource behind the scenes to help our coaches and make sure we're developing a skill programme to play the game we want to play."

Andrew Strawbridge. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Cron's inclusion is less hands-on. After retiring from the All Blacks coaching team following the 2019 World Cup he will now work with Plumtree and Feek to improve all aspects of their pack.

Cron, alongside Wayne Smith, is also working with the Black Ferns.

"He retired from the international scene but he loves the game and he's always got people knocking on his door for help," Foster said.

"For us it's no different. The Black Ferns have asked him for some technical help too. I know Plum and Feek are talking to him, testing some things and using him as a backboard for their ideas and the direction we're going.

"There's not a lot formal there but he's a resource, and why wouldn't we use him. We've got people all around the world tapping into him and getting his advice. He's too good a resource in our backyard not to talk to."

The All Blacks pack were exposed by Ireland, France and South Africa last year. Scrutiny has continued into this season with the tight five, props in particular, expected to be more mobile, more skilled with ball in hand while delivering improved impact around the field.

"We think there needs to be another level in our game in terms of our movements around the park; our footwork and ability to generate power. Our review in 2021 said we need to get better at that stuff," Foster acknowledged.

"Crono is being utilised by Plum and Feek for that micro part but Straws is very into how we generate power with our feet and can we improve some of our ball carrying and physicality around the park. He's going to be in that space working hard with Plum and Feek as well."

Ian Foster. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Foster indicated Cron would attend some trainings but his role is largely as a sounding board for the established forward coaches.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see him turn up occasionally but on the flipside the gold is in the conversations behind the scenes. I know he's having conversations with a whole lot of people in a whole lot of countries, and we want to make sure we're in that queue.

"We're international coaches but we're all striving to get better ourselves. We ask our players to, so we've got to ask ourselves to do the same.

"It's a great opportunity to be exposed to some different ideas and eyes. The wisdom is how we use that and don't get cluttered by it but grow what we're doing."

Welcoming input from Strawbridge and Cron comes as the All Blacks management prepares for further change, with long-serving national selector Grant Fox to be farewelled after the three-test home series against Ireland in July.

Joe Schmidt, who is serving as a support coach to the Blues this season, will replace Fox in an expanded technical coaching role for the Rugby Championship, which for the All Blacks starts with two tests in South Africa.

"His background is largely in the Northern Hemisphere game and that's clearly where we want to grow our expertise," Foster said.

"We got a couple of good lessons in those last two games. That's given us an opportunity to go away and think. Having Joe on board for the second half of the year and next year gives us a different internal perspective and I'm excited about that."