Foster must be the great innovator
New All Blacks coach Ian Foster said it was up to him to prove he could be innovative when NZ Rugby confirmed he would replace Steve Hansen.
That’s no surprise. He has to say that.
Foster, like everyone else involved with the All Blacks during the failed World Cup campaign in Japan last year, will have undergone intense selfscrutiny following the miserable semifinal defeat to England.
The All Blacks won’t play their first test of 2020, against Wales in Auckland, until July 4 but there have already been significant changes to the management team; Foster, having retained Scott McLeod as defence coach, has invited John Plumtree, Greg Feek and Brad Mooar to be his other assistants.
Retaining Grant Fox as a selector provides stability.
When Hansen replaced Graham Henry in 2012 he pimped up the attack by formulating ways for players to back their instincts and exploit space more often.
That, combined with the willingness to hunt for tries off turnover ball, resulting in the All Blacks winning all their games barring a draw with Australia and a loss to England in the last game of the year in London. Foster has promised to be innovative. The World Cup, he said, was a great catalyst for change.
It’s up to him to provide proof of this to help the All Blacks regain their swagger after being taken apart by England at Yokohama Stadium.
Hansen, upon his arrival in 2012, wasted no time in making things happen with bold selections.
Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick were to become stars over the next eight years.
Julian Savea, Charlie Faumuina, and Luke Romano also got a chance, with Savea proving to be a devastating ballcarrier at the World Cup in Britain four years later.
Rather than be cautious, Hansen elected to trust these young players to do a job for him.
While Hansen was able to retain Richie McCaw as captain, and did so through to his retirement after the 2015 World Cup in Britain, Foster has to unearth a replacement for Kieran Read following his retirement from international rugby.
The top candidates to fill the void left by Read are Sam Cane or Sam Whitelock, who has skipped Super Rugby to play in Japan.
Dane Coles and TJ Perenara are co-captains at the Hurricanes, Scott Barrett is leading the Crusaders and Patrick Tuipulotu has got the task of guiding the Blues but are outsiders for the task with the national side.
With Read gone, a new No 8 can either be appointed or the experiment of using Ardie Savea in that position could be expanded by using him on attack and defence.
Now Damian McKenzie has recovered from the knee injury that blew his World Cup dream to bits, and with him intent on focusing on fullback rather than first five-eighth as was the plan under Hansen, Foster has to consider whether to retain Richie Mo’unga at first-five or return Beauden Barrett to the playmaker’s job.
Following his appointment Foster also noted it was up to him to show the public he had a ‘‘sense of direction’’ about where he wants the team to go.
Four months of Super Rugby should provide clarity.