Foster under more pressure after Pumas defeat
ALL BLACKS coach Ian Foster’s future was in question again last night after his side crashed to a humiliating 25-18 defeat by Argentina in Christchurch, their sixth loss in eight matches.
Foster was jeered at the final whistle in Christchurch following a third straight home loss and one of the biggest shocks in international rugby – it was the first time the Pumas had won in New Zealand.
The All Blacks looked to have the game in the bag when Richie Mo’unga gave them an 18-12 lead eight minutes into the second half, only for the Pumas to turn over the restart and score a try on their way to a 25-18 win.
‘We conceded that try at the kickoff, a bit fortunate, and after that they grew an arm and a leg, and we probably got perhaps a little bit flustered,’ said Foster.
‘So we’ve got to look at our composure in the latter stages, particularly with the bench coming on, and we’ve got to make sure we’re more ruthless at the breakdown.’
Michael Cheika was delighted with his Argentina team, but said it was vital they were ready to go again against the same opposition in Hamilton next week.
‘For those Argentina boys, that’s historic for them and I want them to enjoy it,’ he said. ‘It’s a first for me too, I’ve never won a test match in New Zealand. I’m looking to grow the team, particularly towards the World Cup, and what’s important for us now is getting ready for next week.
‘They’re going to come back with every piece of artillery they’ve got and we’ve got to find a way to handle that and give something back.’
Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was pleased with the contribution of fly-half Noah Lolesio after Australia beat world champions South Africa 25-17 in Adelaide.
After Lolesio kicked 10 points, Rennie said: ‘We had confidence that he could do the job and I thought he was excellent.’