Crusaders coach Scott Robertson. Photo / Photosport
England have cleared the path for Scott Robertson to take over as their coach after next year’s Rugby World Cup.
In a move some media have seen as a signal in Robertson’s favour, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has opened the door regarding the prospect of another overseas coach to replace Australian Eddie Jones.
The England union has drawn up a list of candidates for the top job and the rest of the coaching set-up.
The 48-year-old Robertson, rejected for the All Blacks job despite repeated success with the Crusaders, is in London where he guided the Barbarians to victory over the All Blacks XV.
The drum beats keep growing about Robertson taking on the massive England job, with the UK’s iNews reporting the former All Black loosie has again confirmed his interest.
“I’ve said it many times that the All Blacks is my preferred choice but if it didn’t work out that way, you know, England’s got so much potential, it’d be a pretty special job,” Robertson told iNews.
“There is potential to any international job, I’ll make that clear, because there’s a few coming up [after the 2023 World Cup]. My first choice is to be at home. And then what other potential, if it is England, Scotland or Australia or any other team that’s out there, you’ve got to look at it.
“I’m in constant contact with the NZRU ... But you consider any opportunity in international football because there’s not many of them and it’s a four-year cycle.”
Robertson, who will continue to coach the Barbarians for upcoming clashes against Harlequins and Bath, also said he admires coaches who have worked on a second team in addition to their own, including Graham Henry, Steven Hansen and Jones, who he says he met in July when England were on tour in Sydney.
“Eddie’s a prime example,” Robertson said. “He asked me 10 questions and I managed about one ... We talked a bit of footy.”
Asked what he would bring to international rugby, Robertson added: “Well, you’ll get me ... I like to bring the energy every day and I enjoy what I do. My job is to create an environment everyone loves coming to, and get the best out of themselves.”
Speaking about the future of England’s coaching job, Sweeney appeared to do a u-turn when questioned following the Red Roses’ defeat to the Black Ferns in the World Cup final at Eden Park.
The England chief said he had never intended to automatically limit Jones’ replacement to English candidates.
“I didn’t actually say that. What I said is it has to be the best coach, the right coach for the job,” Sweeney said according to The Times.
“If it was an English person it makes life a bit easier. The first priority is it’s got to be the right person, if they are English then that’s great.”
But this definitely appears to be a change of direction, Sweeney having been quoted in March as saying: “We believe we’ve got such a wealth of English coaches in the game.
“As a leading rugby nation we should be developing English coaches and an English style of play … therefore the preference would be to have an English setup as far as I’m concerned.
“We’ve got a war room that’s got every English coach you can imagine here and internationally. We’ve got an advanced succession plan in place.”
Robertson has a final season in charge of the Crusaders, but England apparently want to make the appointment in May and let the new man work in the Jones camp before taking over in 2024.
Those in the frame reportedly include Robertson, Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara who has worked at the Crusaders, and former England lock Steve Borthwick who is the Leicester director of rugby.
Meanwhile, England are being urged to make amends for their women’s surprise defeat to New Zealand before a world record crowd in the Eden Park final.
And England are already talking confidently about erasing New Zealand from the record books when they host the 2025 World Cup.
Sweeney said they would fill Twickenham with 82,000 people for the 2025 final, and possibly the semifinal as well.
“I’m confident we’ll do that — the game is growing in appeal now,” he said.
“Watching that match you didn’t feel it was a women’s rugby match.
“It was a competitive, highly intense sporting event. In many respects it was probably more entertaining than the men’s game.
“It was more open, with fewer stoppages and more ball-in-play time.
“We’re not concerned about being able to fill Twickenham.”