Foster still wants top ABs job, but focus on Wales
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster confirmed his intention to have a crack at the top job has not changed, though he stopped short of launching his campaign out of the ashes of the weekend’s World Cup semifinal defeat to England.
In 2007, following the worst World Cup result in All Blacks history, Sir Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith decided to stand again on the basis that they should be offered the chance to learn from the lessons of their failed campaign and institute the changes required. The trio were controversially reappointed and delivered the redemption promised in 2011. Hansen took over to repeat the dose in 2015.
Foster now finds himself in a similar position. He has stated publicly he intends to apply for the head coaching role being vacated by Hansen.
He will clearly do so on a platform of continuity, of lessons learned from pivotal defeats and of being given the chance to institute the change required.
Nothing has changed for Ian Foster in terms of his keenness to succeed Steve Hansen as All Blacks coach.
But when he spoke to the media in Tokyo yesterday, as well as confirming that standout loose forward Ardie Savea was likely to miss Friday’s bronze medal playoff against Wales, he made it
clear that now was not the time for him to launch his campaign for the top job.
Foster also fended away a question on whether as a potential head coach he could turn the experience of Saturday’s loss to England in Yokohama into a positive, a la the post-2007 turnaround.
‘‘That’s all in the future for the All Blacks,’’ Foster said. ‘‘Right now this group has got a responsibility to make sure we start that. In 2007 they got knocked out in the quarters. And there wasn’t a chance to show they’ve learned because they went home.
‘‘This group has made it to the semis, got knocked out but we’ve got another opportunity. I think the important thing is we show we’ve learned some lessons now.’’
Foster said the mindset of the group now after they had completed a difficult review of the England defeat was very much one of redemption.
The reality is that whatever happens against a Wales side on a five-day turnaround this week, the All Blacks’ shortcomings against England are the defining takeaway from this tournament. Foster said the review of that clash had been an ‘‘unpleasant’’ but necessary process.
‘‘It was a big occasion and we didn’t play as well as we wanted to and England did some things. You’re trying to have some conversations about it so we learn going forward. It doesn’t feel good but at the end of it you’ve at least had a chance to work through things, talk about things and get some clarity about what the solutions are.
‘‘The only way to move forward is to be clear in your mind about some solutions to what happened. It’s part of your responsibility to bottle up your lessons and for whatever the group is going forward you want to be able to say this is what we learnt in 2019.’’
Foster confirmed there would be changes made to bring some much-needed energy for the Friday clash at Tokyo Stadium. He hinted that departing players Kieran Read, Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty and Matt Todd would be given a chance to say farewell on the track.
Savea, though, looks a likely absence with a meniscus problem. Otherwise everyone is available with Todd back on deck after a shoulder issue ruled him out for the semifinal.