Foster addresses the Chief concern
Steve Hansen’s successor is well aware of the criticism of his record in charge of the Chiefs. As Marc Hinton reports, it’s not something he shies away from.
It’s the elephant in the room in any conversation with new All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Before he was a wildly successful assistant to Steve Hansen in the New Zealand setup he once fashioned a far less impressive record in charge of the Chiefs. His critics – yes, he has a few – will tell you it’s the No 1 reason they’re unconvinced he was the right choice to step into the job.
But here’s the thing with this genial and articulate 54-year-old. He isn’t looking to duck his past or hide from the facts that reside on his CV.
Foster, who has been appointed for an initial two-year term as All Blacks head coach, acknowledges and even embraces the role his Chiefs tenure played in shaping the coach he is today.
So as we sit and chat on this fine day at his Waikato lifestyle block property, nestled behind a border of towering trees that cocoon the residence from the outside world roaring by, when the subject of his eight years as Chiefs head coach comes up, no one ends up shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
He accepts that the question is a legitimate one and is eager to correct a few misconceptions. No, he was not the coach he is today when he took charge of the Chiefs between 2004 and 2011 and, yes, his record is not exactly a flattering one. But neither was his tenure the disaster zone those critics would have you believe and, man, did he learn a lot during that time.
It’s encouragingly honest stuff from Foster. It’s how he says he wants to be in this All Blacks job that demands so much of its protagonist. He wants to be as open as he can with the media. He understands the Kiwi public have a thirst to hear from their All Blacks coach on an array of subjects.
This is the new Foster. He has emerged from under the considerable shadow of his predecessor, the highly successful Hansen, and is determined to forge his own identity and style . . . indeed, his own All Blacks.
Ever since he was unveiled as NZ Rugby’s choice in December, he has made it clear he wants to stamp his own mark on proceedings.
So far it has been hard not to be impressed. He is saying and doing the right things as he sets out his stall. His assistants are in place; his management team mostly intact, bar a new doctor and a second video analyst being sought. That includes his response to criticism his Chiefs tenure revealed him to be short of the qualities required to be a head coach.
Let’s review that stint first. In his eight seasons Foster took the Hamilton-based franchise to the finals twice, in 2004 (where they lost in the semifinals to the Brumbies) and 2009 (a defeat in the final to the Bulls). They finished 6th in ‘05, 7th in ‘06, 6th in ‘07, 7th in ‘08, 11th in 2010 and 10th in ‘11.
‘‘I introduce myself if I’m speaking around here as Ian Foster, the guy who coached the Chiefs before they won anything,’’ he says with a smile.
‘‘Then I back that up and say I’m proud of a lot of things we did there. I’m not defensive about it. It is what it is. I loved the time I had in the Chiefs, learnt a lot, and I know if I went back there now I’d do some things differently.
Ian Foster,
All Blacks coach, on his tenure with the Chiefs
‘‘I’d like to think that’s what people should expect from coaches as they grow. It doesn’t bother me. It was a team and time in my life I loved, and I grew a lot through it. Then I’ve taken another step coming into the All Blacks camp and learnt a lot in that space.’’
He pauses for a second here, as if taking stock.
‘‘I am who I am,’’ he continues. ‘‘We’ve all walked a path to get where we’ve got. But I’m excited about being here.’’
The reality was Foster’s Chiefs tenure wasn’t as bad as some portray. He had winning records in five of his eight seasons and four of his first six campaigns saw the team finish in the top six, while they were seventh in the other two. It’s not lost on him that those positions
would all net finals spots under the current Super Rugby thresholds.
But his last two seasons were poor – a combined record of 10-2-17 – and his efforts were further shaded by the fact that when Dave Rennie took charge he won Super Rugby titles in his first two seasons, 2012 and ‘13.
Foster would prefer it if personalities were taken out of coaching altogether. ‘‘My goal is not to define the All Blacks into Ian Foster’s All Blacks,’’ he says. ‘‘My goal is to use the collective wisdom of the people I’ve got. One of my jobs is to diagnose where we’re at and then make decisions based on that diagnosis.
‘‘I’ve figured out there are a few areas we need to change and grow and been able to appoint people I think who can do that. I’ve got to drive that process but it’s a collective effort.’’
And how might he move this side forward now they’re no longer the No 1 team on the planet?
‘‘We’ve got to keep an attacking mindset and a skilful process. But we’ve got to up the ante a bit on when the game requires more of a physical component, and get that balance back in how we play.
‘‘Our job as coaches is to have a player take all the complexities of being an All Black and run out at a ground with a smile and do what they’re really good at. Hopefully we can see players doing that in both Super and All Blacks rugby.’’
Foster also pledges a clean selection slate in this new era. There will be continuity aplenty, but there will also be change and freshness where it’s required.
‘‘My message to the players is to love your time in Super Rugby, it’s a tough competition that tests you physically, tests your skills, and we’re lucky we’ve got good organisations, working hard to do a good job. They need to know the All Blacks and the franchises are aligned on critical things that are going to help them get selected.’’
This son of a preacher man – his father was a Putaruru barber who became a Presbyterian minister and very much shaped the man we see before us today – doesn’t perceive himself as being on some sort of evangelical mission.
‘‘I haven’t spent eight years preparing for this,’’ he says. ‘‘I never had a burning ambition that everything I did was to become an All Blacks head coach. My burning ambition in the All Blacks was to prove I was good enough to be there, and that’s what the environment is about.
‘‘Now I find so much good stuff has happened in this space, there are so many lessons we’ve learned, that I’m well equipped to drive that forward. I know what it’s like and, quite frankly, it excites me.’’
‘‘I introduce myself if I’m speaking around here as Ian Foster, the guy who coached the Chiefs before they won anything. Then I back that up and say I’m proud of a lot of things we did there.’’