With one test to go we’ve reached the stage of the season where the All Blacks oil tanker needs a thorough Team New Zealand style break it all down full body inspection with the terms of reference being one simple question: Does it, does the coach, make the boat go faster?

Scott Robertson is a great bloke - charismatic, passionate, the whole thing. It’s easy to understand why he’s as popular as he is - but this is where all that gets put to the side because really it isn’t actually relevant. The only thing that is, is the state of our team.

Two years into this regime, 26 tests deep, and we have to be brutally honest: the All Blacks are not improving. In fact, in too many key areas, we seem to be going backwards. A loss like that, a second half like that, can only ever be very concerning.

Now, in real life we’ve all got bigger worries - mortgages, power bills, petrol, groceries, Christmas coming at us like a freight train, all that and more to fret about, things being of much more importance. But this is a sports show, and right here, right now, the only question that matters for rugby fans in this country is what the hell is going on with the All Blacks?

Where’s the game plan? Why are we so unco? How can a team with this talent pool look that lost, that rudderless. The second half against England was as poor as we’ve ever been. If you need a comparison it was like watching that bewildered, dithering 1998 side under John Hart. We lost 5 in a row that year.

Razor has had two full seasons, 26 tests in charge. And we lay a turd like that? It’s hard to believe.

Here’s a simple question to consider: 2 years out from Sydney, half way into the World Cup cycle, are we a better side now than we were 2023 in Paris? If the answer is yes, then we’ve got an even bigger problem. Because you’re denying the truth. Nobody watching on Sunday could genuinely believe that. This isn’t about panic; it’s simply about accountability.

The attack has been muddled all year. On-field leadership - questionable. Our ability under the high ball - everyone in world rugby knows it’s a weakness. 12 tests in, and we still can’t contest or field the high ball consistently? Come on. That’s not elite performance. We’re not fixing it. Why not? And without Cam Roigard, the 9/10 axis looks miles off the pace.

England at Twickenham was supposed to be the barometer - the true measure of the season. A tough opponent, away from home, knockout-footy intensity. And from the moment England wiped out that 12-point head start, they beat us 33–7. We never looked like winning. That’s the part that stings.

So this is where we are at: a full stop, a hard pause, and a total reset. Not a witch-hunt. Not a drawn-out saga. Just a clear-eyed review of everyone involved. No sacred cows, no “great guy” exemptions. Assemble half a dozen proven rugby minds - past coaches, captains, World Cup winners - throw them in a room and get genuine answers.

Where is this team at? And who are the right people to lead us to Australia 2027? We need that broken down into every assistant coaching position. Because hoping for individual brilliance in the last 20 minutes - Chicago, Edinburgh, Cordoba, France - isn’t a game plan. It’s brilliant when it comes off. And right now it’s also masking the reality: we’re just not quite good enough. And we don’t appear to be getting better.

Wellington earlier this year was the warning shot. Twickenham was the punch in the ribs we can’t ignore. We’ve got two years to rebuild properly. But if we don’t front up now - brutally, honestly, pragmatically - we’ll waste them. Razor, the buck stops with you. Time for the reset. Apart from everything to gain, what really have we got to lose?

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