Foster: ‘I’ve got a lot of belief’
‘23. Can Foster afford to hold on to him? Lock Tuipulotu is only 28, but his decision to skip Super Rugby Pacific offers Tupou Vaa’i and Josh Lord an easier road back into the squad as backup to Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett.
What are the ABs’ biggest areas of concern as evidenced by the last five months?
Hinton:
Where do we start? Dealing with defensive line-speed remains a major. Groundhog Day here, and it’s not like they didn’t know it was coming. Physicality and forward power go hand in hand, and it’s a big issue. They were out-muscled by the Boks and
Ian Foster says he understands why supporters are upset and frustrated after disappointing losses to Ireland and France, and as All Blacks coach he is ‘‘always accountable’’ for the performance of the team.
Anti-Foster sentiment has reached fever pitch in the wake of the All Blacks’ disappointing end to the year, with Crusaders coach Scott Robertson retaining strong support as an alternative option.
Foster fronted on Sky Sport’s Breakdown on Monday to discuss the All Blacks’ season, and was asked by host Jeff Wilson how he would deal with the ‘‘noise’’ surround the coaching job at present.
‘‘I’ve got a job to do,’’ Foster said. ’’I’m very passionate about what I do with this group. I’ve got a lot of belief in what we’ve achieved this year. I’m not going to be swayed off task by a couple of
Irish and outplayed by the wonderful French who also exposed them on the drive. Lastly, attacking subtlety. Yes, they scored lots of tries against lightweights but in four tests against South Africa, Ireland and France they managed just nine and conceded 10.
Set-piece inconsistency, especially at the lineout (and scrum when reserve props are on), lack of ball-carrying metres from the props and locks, and the backline’s inability to find space in ways other than the crossfield kick.
Cully:
The biggest concern, as evidenced by the defeats, was mistakes under pressure. Discovering avenues through lightning-quick defensive lines, rather than trying to go around or send cross-kicks to the fringes, continues to be a problem. It was a worry to watch France score two tries off lineout drives. The Springboks forwards will have already filled their notebooks. Finally, Foster is yet to find an outstanding No 6 to complement his back row.
Knowler: Did NZ Rugby drop the ball in extending Ian Foster’s contract straight after the Bledisloe was sealed? Hinton:
I said it at the time, and repeat: it was a crazy call at that performances at the end of the year, where we’ve won 80 per cent of our tests and lost the last two.
‘‘They’re amazingly good lessons for us. We don’t want to receive those lessons, but it’s my job to make sure we decipher that, pull it apart and figure out how we learn from that.’’
The All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby will conduct their routine end-of season reviews, which might pinpoint some areas of concern, but Foster said he accepted that the buck stopped with him.
‘‘I know that everyone bays for blood at times like this, and that’s the nature of the job,’’ he said. ‘‘But, our goal is to make sure that we’ve got the right plan going forward.
‘‘As an All Black coach I’m always accountable, but every test is important. So, it’s not just about building for the World Cup, it’s about getting next year right.’’
juncture, when they had yet to be properly measured. Would you sack Foster now? Maybe. A bloody good alternative is at hand. But maybe not. A coach deserves the full cycle to build. He seems to be in denial, but if he shows you enough in review you probably green-light – if only because boards never admit they got it wrong. After making the initial decision to go two years, reappointing prematurely reflects an organisation not on top of its game.
No, and I don’t think they would have been particularly surprised by the losses to Ireland and France. The timing of the reappointment is something of a red herring. Ultimately, the wisdom of the decision or otherwise will not be known until the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
They will say no. Most of our rugby public would (probably) disagree. NZ Rugby should have been braver, and waited. By pausing negotiations it could have told Foster, who wanted certainty, it was best practice to be patient ahead of the World Cup. It would have made for a difficult conversation, but so be it. That’s not to say NZR wouldn’t have reappointed Foster, anyway. But we will never know. Last drinks were called in lateAugust.
Cully:
Knowler: