Make-or-break time as ABs look to get World Cup preparations back on track
Ian Foster is hoping to tick the consistency box on a tour that has major connotations for next year’s global event in France. Marc Hinton reports.
Given the year Ian Foster has had, it’s little wonder the All Blacks coach has his guard up ahead of a northern tour that could make or break his World Cup ambitions for 2023.
Foster’s All Blacks have already lost four times in 2022 during a rollercoaster ride through July and the Rugby Championship, and one more setback would match their record for futility in the professional era – the five defeats suffered in 1998, which, as we all now know, did not bode well for their prospects at the 1999 global event.
The All Blacks don’t require four victories on this tour, which opens against Japan in Tokyo next Saturday evening, to magically transform into World Cup contenders. But it sure would not do their prospects any harm as they look to tick the key box of consistency in their last major shakedown before the global event rolls around.
Foster’s men have had their landmark moments this year, most notably with victories in Johannesburg, Hamilton and at Eden Park in Auckland to wrap up another Rugby
Championship triumph, that have shown when they get the formula right, they remain a formidable force indeed.
But these have been interspersed with low points that have laid bare their fallibilities. They lost an historic home series against Ireland from 1-0 up, suffered their biggest defeat to the Boks in 94 years in
Mbombela that very nearly dropped the axe on Foster, and bumbled their way through a first home loss to Argentina in Christchurch.
You could also add the 39-37 victory in Melbourne, where Foster’s men blew an 18-point final quarter lead, only to be saved at the death by a remarkable, and controversial, call from French referee
Mathieu Raynal. This was a defeat in all but name.
So, as Foster and his men departed Auckland yesterday morning for a tour that will take in consecutive tests against Wales, Scotland and England to follow the Tokyo stopover, the last thing they probably needed was to have to leave six players behind, and call up a quartet of reinforcements in a last-minute shake-up.
Of the defections, only one shapes as permanent, with thirdstring halfback Folau Fakatava ruled out after re-rupturing his ACL. The three Barrett brothers remain in New Zealand for their grandmother’s funeral and will join their team-mates later this week in Tokyo, while Sam Whitelock and Will Jordan are expected to head straight to the UK once they’ve shaken inner ear issues.
There’s a good chance this has minimal impact, with Fakatava and maybe Scott Barrett the only members of that group likely tabbed for action against Japan, and Foster hopeful that Whitelock, and possibly Jordan, could be on board for the full build-up to the Wales test.
In broad terms it’s likely Foster sends out as many of his back-up men as he dares to face Japan – he needs a look at them, and will be conscious of keeping his heavy-hitters fresh for that Wales-Scotland-England finish – but the coach made it clear he’s not under-estimating coach
‘We’ve got to get back into our flow. This is a significant break we’ve had. It’s not one we’ve had to deal with before at this time of the year, and it’s important we get back into our rhythm very quickly.’ HEAD COACH IAN FOSTER
Jamie Joseph’s men one iota.
‘‘It’s important we hit the ground running in Japan,’’ said Foster. ‘‘In the past it was probably a game you played on the way north, whereas now it’s very different. Japan have got some big scalps under them, they’ve got a proven programme, and there’s already some noise that they’re extremely confident about the game.
‘‘It changes the mindset. It’s four test matches and Japan is a key game for us. We’ve got to get back into our flow. This is a significant break we’ve had. It’s not one we’ve had to deal with before at this time of the year, and it’s important we get back
into our rhythm very quickly.’’
Foster also indicated he would be wary of just rolling his top 23 out for those last three tests.
‘‘For the last 7-8 years for southern hemisphere teams [November] has always been a difficult month. We’ve got to make sure we’ve got energy levels high, and then you look at our Scotland game moved to a Sunday, so it’s a six-day turnaround to the England test. We’ll be making some decisions to get through that period.
‘‘We’re learning how to prepare at a level we need to and we’re learning lots about ourselves as a group as we go
along. We got to a good point in the Rugby Championship and we’ve got to continue that. We can’t let it slide.
‘‘We know how key all these tests are.’’
It hasn’t been lost on senior All Blacks either how notable this trip is. Aaron Smith confirmed prior to departure it would be his final northern tour, effectively rubber-stamping his intention to bow out of international rugby after the World Cup. He is far from alone in that category either.
And Foster accepted there were World Cup repercussions around a tour where his team was looking to rattle off four consecutive victories, culminating in a Twickenham blockbuster.
‘‘It does duplicate a World Cup to a certain degree,’’ he said. ‘‘But in another sense what’s key now is we just take the challenge in front of us one at a time and reassess where we’re at by the end of the year.
‘‘Certainly we are using it with an eye for our own preparation for the World Cup.’’