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Ex-All Black backs Ian Foster for World Cup contract extension
A former All Black believes New Zealand head coach Ian Foster has shown he is worthy of a contract extension beyond this year.
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Foster is off-contract with New Zealand Rugby [NZR] at the end of 2021 after beating out Crusaders boss Scott Robertson for the All Blacks job following the 2019 World Cup.
The decision to appoint Foster brought with it plenty of scepticism from the New Zealand public, as many felt Robertson deserved the role given his glittering coaching career at age-grade, provincial and Super Rugby level.
Since becoming Crusaders head coach in 2017, Robertson has guided the Christchurch-based franchise to five straight Super Rugby and Super Rugby Aotearoa titles.
They add to his eight provincial championships with Canterbury and 2015 World Rugby U20 Championship crown with the New Zealand U20 side.
By comparison, Foster was seen as someone with an underwhelming CV as a head coach, whose best result at the helm of any team came in 2009 when he guided the Chiefs to the Super 14 final, only to get thumped 61-17 by the Bulls in Pretoria.
However, NZR backed the 56-year-old after his eight-year service as an assistant to ex-head coach Sir Steve Hansen between 2012 and 2019, the early part of which time the All Blacks enjoyed one of their most successful periods ever.
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But, after a World Cup title in 2015, three Rugby Championships, four Bledisloe Cup series wins and an undefeated campaign in 2013, things began to unravel towards the end of Hansen’s and Foster’s reign as head and assistant coaches of the All Blacks.
Two defeats to both Ireland and the Wallabies, a draw and a loss at home to the Springboks, a series draw with the British and Irish Lions and a fortuitous win over England between 2016 and 2019 set alarm bells ringing going into the 2019 World Cup.
There, the team’s worst fears were realised as England avenged their defeat at Twickenham the year beforehand to nullify the All Blacks in a display of supreme physicality to knock the Kiwis out with a 19-7 victory in their semi-final clash in Japan.
Unable to find a way through the unrelenting pressure applied by the English forward pack, doubts were cast over Foster’s feasibility as All Blacks head coach when it was revealed he would be running for the role.
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Some All Blacks fans yearned for a fresh perspective in the national team’s coaching group, and they felt Robertson – the innovative and eccentric, yet brilliant, former All Blacks loose forward – could offer that.
Injured All Blacks captain Sam Cane is due to return to action in two months, but how will that impact the current crop of loose forwards in Ian Foster’s side? #AllBlacks https://t.co/JoNUy58iEf
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 20, 2021
Furthermore, the retention of Foster was viewed by some as a continuation of the work done by Hansen, which unsettled those who held that view given the troublesome results the All Blacks endured leading into and during the World Cup.
Those concerns grew when the All Blacks achieved a winning ratio of just 50 per cent in Foster’s debut season as the team’s head coach last year.
Despite winning the Tri-Nations and retaining the Bledisloe Cup, a draw and loss to the Wallabies, as well as a first-ever defeat to Argentina, did little to win Foster more fans.
A report from the New Zealand Herald brought those issues to the fore again last week, albeit from a different standpoint, when it was revealed All Blacks players have grown frustrated at NZR for not extending Foster’s contract beyond this season.
The Herald reported that while Foster has won the support of his players to remain onboard as All Blacks head coach through until the 2023 World Cup, NZR is eager to see more from him before the end of the year.
None of Foster’s assistants have been granted contract extensions beyond this year either, and frustrations from the coaching group have reportedly grown after NZR extended Robertson’s contract until 2024.
Robertson’s deal with the national union comes complete with an opt-out clause to apply for the All Blacks job should it become available.
In spite of the uncertainty surrounding his long-term future, Foster delivered the best performance of his brief All Blacks head coaching stint last weekend, a day after the Herald‘s report was published.
The 57-22 thrashing of the Wallabies at Eden Park was the most comprehensive display of Foster’s tenure, and while he is still yet to face one of rugby’s current powerhouse nations, such as South Africa, France or Wales, the result certainly would have given NZR some food for thought.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod following the result, former All Blacks hooker James Parsons weighed in on the matter as he spoke in favour of retaining Foster beyond this season.
Exclusive: European fans best get their wallets ready because there could be some exceptional rugby heading your way ? https://t.co/tMHeYCKQAZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 19, 2021
Parsons, who played two tests under Foster during his time as All Blacks assistant coach between 2014 and 2016, suggested a change to the make-up of New Zealand’s coaching staff at this stage of a World Cup cycle could be detrimental to the team.
“I think you’ve got to give confidence in the group and the way they’re trending,” he told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“I just think of it this way, if you make a change, say at the end of this year, if a new coaching group is in there, there’ll be system changes, there’ll be all sorts of changes, and then you’re into a World Cup.”
Parsons added the way in which the All Blacks have conducted themselves amid the unprecedented challenge forced upon them by Covid-19 has been “first-class” and deserves recognition.
“They seem like a pretty settled squad going through a lot of challenges off the field,” he said.
“I think the leadership and control that this All Blacks leadership group and management group has shown at the moment is first-class and worthy of being acknowledged at some stage.”
The All Blacks were scheduled to play their next test against the Wallabies in the final Bledisloe Cup test of the year at Perth next weekend.
However, fresh outbreaks of the virus in New Zealand and Australia have jeopardised not only that test, but also the entire Rugby Championship.
Sources have told RugbyPass that SANZAAR is considering relocating the entire competition to the United Kingdom and Europe, with other media reports suggesting the third Bledisloe Cup could be staged at Wembley Stadium on October 9.
Other options believed to be on the cards are having the Rugby Championship held either in South Africa or Queensland.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments