Familiar surrounds no shield for Foster
After Ian Foster delivers his final pregame pearls tonight, he will turn out of the home team changing room and make his way down a tunnel where a portrait of him adorns the wall.
It’s FMG Stadium Waikato – Rugby Park in a previous life – and Foster’s former field of dreams.
There in that tunnel proudly sits photos of Waikato legends, detailing their deeds for the province, and it’s none other than Foster, perhaps now forever, who holds the record of number of games played (148) for the Mooloos.
One particular cloudy spring afternoon he was out there in the red, yellow and black No 10 jersey, receiving a pass from Warren Gatland and surging over for the hosts’ final try in their 40-5 demolition of Otago to secure Waikato a maiden NPC division one title.
Thirty years on, he is back at the turf he knows perhaps better than his own Hamilton front lawn. There have been many visits since, but this weekend’s is a date with fate.
A second-straight Rugby Championship loss to Argentina and Foster’s time as All Blacks coach could be up.
Yes, it would take some backflip from a New Zealand Rugby board which had just backed him through to next year’s World Cup. But 17 days is a long time in sport, and seven losses in nine games, and yet more horrible history, might just prove too much to stomach.
It’s all not even worth contemplating for the man himself.
‘‘I don’t think like that,’’ he said on Thursday when asked how secure he would feel should things turn pearshaped like they did in Christchurch last weekend. ‘‘I’m an optimist.’’
And you can’t accuse Foster of not backing up that notion with his actions, presenting as nothing but his calm and genial self when fronting for his 15 minutes with the media two days out from the match, where he explained a somewhat surprising zero changes to his starting lineup.
Having rewarded the players who saved his job in Johannesburg, he’s now backing them to be better for the bad taste in their mouths from Orangetheory Stadium, albeit with tweaks on the bench in the form of injury-returning duo Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett, the wily Dane Coles and the fresh legs of Dalton Papali’i.
The All Blacks go into the match as clear favourites at the TAB, but of course nowhere near as clear as last weekend, after the Pumas, under former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, steeled up defensively and punished the hosts’ ill-discipline through threepointers.
That first-ever defeat to the Argentinians on home soil, coupled with the historic home series loss to Ireland, has made it three home losses on the trot for the All Blacks for the first time ever.
A happy Hamilton homecoming obviously didn’t have a script like this for Foster, but he has still appreciated some familiar surroundings in this most testing period of his 11 years with the national team.
‘‘She’s a tough job to get away from, particularly in a test week,’’ he said. ‘‘I haven’t wanted to get away from it, but is it good to be home? Yes it is.
‘‘There’s nothing like going back and having a night’s sleep in your own bed, so I’ve loved that, figured out that my wife still loves me, which is important to me.
‘‘I’m really proud of being from this region, and it’s been a big part of my rugby. So there’s a whole lot of pride being involved in the All Blacks in this part of the world. And, personally, I’d love nothing better than to put a performance on the park that shows that.’’
Him and a fair few million others. But, as Foster takes his paces down that stadium tunnel to the lift in the foyer, then makes his way onto the concourse and plonks himself down in the coaches box, all he can really do is watch.
Under forecast rainy skies, is it really going to be here, of all possible places, where all his hopes and dreams get washed away?
PLAYER TO WATCH: SAM CANE
It’s time for the captain to stand up. He can start by y cutting out the needless penalties, and by making g some dominant tackles. Too often Cane is taken fo or a ride before dragging a ball carrier down.
Argentina viewpoint
Thirty-seven years after playing the All Blacks in the first test match between the two sides, Los Pumas made history by winning in New Zealand for the first time ever last weekend.
After the match in Christchurch, I was sitting in Buenos Aires and was left speechless by what was an amazing performance.
The pillars on which Argentina’s victory was built were based on a step-up on defence and in the collisions, while the kicking game 7.05pm, Saturday FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Live coverage on Stuff from 6.40pm
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Jordan Way (Australia)
Television match official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
TAB odds: All Blacks $1.25 Argentina $4.20
Jordie Barrett
Dane Coles, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Brodie Retallick, Dalton Papali’i, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Quinn Tupaea. put pressure on New Zealand and set us up for the biggest win in Argentinian rugby history.
There was something psychological as well in the sense of the mentality and that the All Blacks couldn’t turn things around in the first test. Nowadays, Argentina have a strong mentality under Michael Cheika and you can see that they are growing in confidence each week.
Looking ahead to the test in Hamilton, of course we expect a response from the All Blacks.
When they played back-to-back in South Africa, they had the answer in the second test at Ellis
Will Jordan
Juan Cruz Mallía
Emiliano Boffelli
Park. They produced an unbelievable performance, and we saw they are a team with resilience and the mentality to really turn things around.
I believe today will be the same, so for Argentina they have to be as strong defensively and be prepared to face everything new that New Zealand will throw at them.
When the All Blacks have speed of ball, they are one of the most dangerous sides in the world. In the first test, Los Pumas frustrated the All Blacks in this area because they were solid in the contact and had numbers on their feet.
It was pretty difficult for the All
PLAYER TO WATCH: MARCOS KREMER A one-man wrecking machine, Kremer made a whopping 26 tackles in last week’s historic win in Christchurch. Kremer also made his presence felt by throwing his powerful frame at the All Blacks’ defensive line.
Blacks to create that speed of ball, so one thing I’m expecting is that in their attack, surely they will be more aggressive to see if they can win the advantage line.
They might also kick a bit more to alternate their game in the sense that Argentina tend to have a lot of numbers on their feet.
A potential weakness for Los Pumas is at set-piece. The All Blacks will target them at scrum time and will look to strike from the driving maul.
For me, Los Pumas also have to show more on attack.
They didn’t offer much of an offensive front in the first test because they defended for large periods and New Zealand won the territorial game by far. In Christchurch, Los Pumas were defending and trying to exit as best as they could.
This current All Blacks team is beatable, but they are still New Zealand with amazing individuals.
Even though the All Blacks are struggling nowadays, it’s a rugby team you can’t underestimate at all.
Marcelo Bosch played 39 test matches for Argentina from 2007 to 2015, started every match he played against the All Blacks and was a club legend for Saracens.