1
'A very different stage': Ian Foster on All Blacks' growth since France loss
The Rugby World Cup is a long tournament. It was long enough for South Africa to turn their fortunes in 2019 and go from losing their first match to winning the ultimate prize, so is it long enough for the All Blacks to do the same?
ADVERTISEMENT
Having lost not just their first match of the tournament against France, but also their final warm-up Test against the Springboks, the New Zealand team were the first to admit there was work to do in chasing their goal of becoming world champions.
The familiar chorus of “good learnings” was echoed through the halls of both Twickenham and Stade de France after consecutive historic losses, but just how far those learnings will get the team is yet to be revealed.
The All Blacks didn’t have to wait long for another crack at the world’s best, as the final cards of the Rugby World Cup pool stages fell, a date with Ireland in the quarter-finals was confirmed.
With their path to rugby’s greatest throne set, Ian Foster’s side face the ominous challenge of tackling a team unbeaten in their past 17 encounters.
The coach was optimistic about how the schedule to date has set his side up for the contest.
“I think France was a very different stage for us,” he told The Breakdown. “That first game we came in and had that one game at Twickenham, we had gaps either side of that.
“We had a number of injuries, I thought we played well for 50 minutes but we probably learned a few lessons about composure and how to get out of our half in the last 20. So, we’ve worked hard on that, I guess we’ll see how much.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
2
Draws
0
Wins
3
Average Points scored
22
30
First try wins
40%
Home team wins
40%
Foster elaborated on the influence of past results as the quarter-final team was named.
“I don’t think the past matters. I think you learn a lot from the past but you learn it at the time and it becomes part of who you are and becomes part of you as a team. This team we have prepared well with this in mind.
“If you look at this year, the whole thing was about getting ready for a World Cup and making sure we are primed to perform at this stage of the tournament.
“We are excited. We know the size of the challenge, how good Ireland are, they deserve all the plaudits they get. But, play-off rugby is about who’s best on the day.”
ADVERTISEMENT
With the pressure on New Zealand to avoid a first-ever pool stage exit, the team faced a confident Italian team in round four, the Azzuri were yet to taste defeat at the World Cup at that stage and presented a dangerous challenge after relatively recent wins over Wales and Australia.
The All Blacks dismissed the Italians with style and continued their record of allowing no first-half tries at the tournament. That record was extended in their final pool clash against Uruguay.
When asked how the record would fare against Ireland, Foster was surprised, unaware of his team’s first-half shutout.
“I didn’t know that,” he grinned. “But we are working hard on our starts, it’s not so much about tactically, a lot of that is about mentally. It’s about making sure that you don’t go in feeling like you’ve got to absorb the occasion, absorb the pressure, you’ve actually got to go and take a step forward in those first few minutes.
“We’ve been working on that, I feel pretty good about that. I thought against Uruguay, we sat back a little bit and that first 20 minutes, they came and disrupted us a lot and forced us into some errors that we can’t afford to happen this week.
“It’s a work in progress but it is something that we’re really trying to nail our concentration early in the game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Just came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
229 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
229 Go to comments