Who and what does Scott Robertson's historic firing as All Black coach say the most about? Or is the most important statement about the team, rugby union itself and both crossing the final threshold into what can finally be considered true professionalism?
We're into over three decades of pro rugby, which may seem like a while but it's hardly any time at all compared to other sports. Ma'a Nonu has been an active player for almost 80 percent of that time, so it's not surprising that for better or worse, it's held on to quite a few of the amateur era protocols.
One of those is that once you've been given a coaching job, it was more or less yours until you didn't want it anymore. Coaches got let go but generally at the end of their contracted tenures and never in the middle of a season. That sort of thing was for football, the NRL or American sports, a cutthroat mentality that seemed far too ruthless for our national game and relatively small community.
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That's changed no
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