‘Lack of feedback’ from All Blacks coaches key reason for Shaun Stevenson’s departure

Saturday, 15 March 2025

Shaun Stevenson says a lack of feedback from the All Blacks coaches was a big factor in him deciding to take his game offshore.

For the man known as ‘Shooter’, it wasn’t exactly all guns blazing, but he at least fired a few shots the way of the All Blacks coaches, as he prepares to take his game away from New Zealand for good later this year.

It’s been a whirlwind few months for Shaun Stevenson, who, after a mini sabbatical in Japan to start his year, following a prolonged negotiation with New Zealand Rugby, is now back with the Chiefs to see out a Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

Having made a timely return last week, with the outside back stocks running thin at the Hamilton-based franchise, the one-test All Black played from the bench in the loss to the Fijian Drua in Lautoka, but on Saturday night will be back in his familiar No 15 jersey for the Battle of the Bombays clash against the beleaguered Blues in Hamilton.

However, it’s the start of the end for the flying fullback, who has opted to not re-sign with NZR beyond this year, and instead link back up with Kubota for next season, thus meaning sacrificing a future in the black jersey.

And this week opening up on his big decision, last December, to seek an early release from his contract, after Kubota came calling, which NZR in the end said no to but instead came to a six-game compromise on, Stevenson was frank in his reasoning.

After a try, and a win, on All Blacks debut, Shaun Stevenson hadn’t been able to add to his sole test cap from 2023.

“Just the lack of feedback and just not knowing where I sat in the pecking order,” he said was the catalyst, after what he felt was some “disappointing” communication from All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and his crew.

After lighting up Super Rugby in a massive way in 2023, Stevenson had already been considered hugely unlucky to miss the cut under former coach Ian Foster, before eventually making his test debut, and scoring a try, in the dead-rubber Bledisloe Cup win over the Wallabies in Dunedin that year.

A hamstring problem then limited his involvement across the back half of last year’s Chiefs campaign, and Ruben Love pushed ahead of him in the queue, though when All Blacks XV squad team-mate Chay Fihaki all of a sudden got the call-up in November to join the top squad, there were plenty of eyebrows raised.

“Obviously I was pretty injury-prone last year so I wasn’t expecting much, but I think it’s always nice getting a bit of feedback and knowing what you need to work on,” Stevenson, 28, added.

“I can’t change that, so I’ve got to do what’s best for myself and for my family. And that’s just part of footy, right?”

It may well be that Stevenson isn’t lost to test rugby altogether, with his heritage allowing a switch of alegiance to Samoa, with whom he’d become eligible for next year.

Shaun Stevenson is looking to become the Chiefs’ next centurion and help lead them to a title in 2025 after two successive near-misses.

“Maybe, we’ll see, I’m not sure if they’ve got their coaching staff sorted at the moment,” he said, in reference to Mahonri Schwalger stepping down in January after being charged with sexual misconduct.

“It’s not a no, and there’s a World Cup in a couple of years.”

In the meantime, there’s a couple of big things he’ll be looking to tick off with the Chiefs, needing three more caps to become the franchise’s next centurion, while being desperately keen to put two years of heartache behind by helping the team take the final step to a title this time round.

He’s rejuvenated and ready.

“I’ve come back with a new energy about me,” Stevenson said. “It was a good stint, and a good way to mentally refresh as well.

“After 10 years being in New Zealand it was nice to play a different style of footy, and I loved every moment of it, with the culture, the food, the people. I developed my game a little bit as well over there.”

Having kept a close eye from afar on not only the Chiefs’ first three games, but also their training footage, Stevenson said coming straight from the airport last Monday and slipping back into the environment was pretty straightforward, albeit with some healthy ribbing attached.

“I got a rousing cheer, bit of a boo, when I got named on the bench [for last weekend],” he quipped. “But it was all in good spirits. I’ll take that as a bit of good man love from the boys.

“And then it was straight to shouting the boys a coffee cart, and there were a few fines coming my way, for missing pre-season and the first three games. The boys made sure I had to pay up my dues.”

Super Rugby Pacific, Rd 5

Chiefs v Blues

FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

Saturday, 7.05pm

Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Emoni Narawa, Anton Lienert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea, Leroy Carter, Damian McKenzie, Xavier Roe, Luke Jacobson (c), Jahrome Brown, Simon Parker, Tupou Vaa’i, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, George Dyer, Brodie McAlister, Ollie Norris. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Aidan Ross, Sione Ahio, Jimmy Tupou, Samipeni Finau, Cortez Ratima, Josh Jacomb, Daniel Rona.

Blues: Corey Evans, Mark Tele'a, Rieko Ioane, Xavi Taele, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Sam Nock, Anton Segner, Dalton Papali’i, Cameron Christie, Laghlan McWhannell, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay. Reserves: Nathaniel Pole, Joshua Fusitu’a, Angus Ta'avao, Josh Beehre, Cameron Suafoa, Finlay Christie, Stephen Perofeta, AJ Lam.