Foster safe but things will change

Disgruntled All Blacks fans clamouring for a coaching change are set to be disappointed. Ian Foster won’t be dumped as head coach, but expect a significant role for Joe Schmidt, and a potential change of captain.

NZ Rugby is reviewing the All Blacks after the dispiriting series defeat to Ireland and the topic is set to be discussed at a board meeting in Wellington today.

However, Foster’s head won’t roll – at this stage.

As former All Blacks coach Alex Wyllie said yesterday changing the head coach so close to two tests against the world champion Springboks would be potentially more destabilising.

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson would be the only viable contender. But Robertson would be savvy enough to see that the All Blacks job would be a poisoned chalice at this juncture. Why would he, or any other ambitious coach, want to take on a demoralised team they had no say in picking ahead of the most challenging assignment in world rugby – a visit to South Africa?

Some Robertson supporters have pointed to the perceived precedent of South Africa’s move to bring Rassie Erasmus in as Springboks coach about 18 months out from the Boks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph. But Erasmus’ situation was different to Robertson’s. He was already Rugby South Africa’s director of rugby (DOR), overseeing all national teams, and he took over in February 2018 after Allister Coetzee was sacked. He had a full off-season to work with Springbok players he was already familiar with through his DOR role.

Robertson, in contrast, is mainly au fait with the All Blacks’ Crusaders contingent and a handful of others from his New Zealand under-20 coaching days.

So Robertson’s elevation won’t