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Former All Blacks coach puts blame on players for Argentina loss, not Foster
Kiwi rugby legend John Hart has pointed the finger at the players rather than under-fire coach Ian Foster after the All Blacks fell to their first defeat to Argentina on Saturday night.
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Foster was considered by many in the New Zealand rugby community to be the wrong pick for All Blacks coach even before the disappointing draw in the team’s first test of the year against the Wallabies.
The Foster regime has since failed to win the majority of the five tests the All Blacks have played so far this year, including back-to-back losses against an injury-plagued Wallabies and a Pumas side who hadn’t played test rugby in over a year, leading to some already calling for his head to roll.
But Hart, who coached the All Blacks for four years in the late 90s, said it’s too early to place the sole blame on Foster and pointed the finger at the players instead.
Following his comments on The Breakdown last week where he said that the Pumas wouldn't challenge the All Blacks, Sir John Kirwan has been made to eat some "humble pie" after the upset. https://t.co/y2yB9WpVeG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 15, 2020
“He’ll be feeling the pressure but it’s early days,” Hart told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. “I think it’s a collective thing here. The coach can [only] do so much; we all well know that.
“But I think in the end, on the field on Saturday, we didn’t quite see the finesse that we need and a lot of that has to be the players. The players got to have a really hard look at themselves rather than at the moment just focus on the coach.”
While Hart didn’t stray from criticising the All Blacks, he also made sure to praise the “fantastic” performance from the Argentineans in what was perhaps the greatest victory in the nation’s rugby history.
“Obviously we’ve got issues and it was a disappointing loss, but I think you’ve got to give full credit to what was a fantastic Argentinean performance – attack and defence. I haven’t seen an Argentinean team play like that ever. They thoroughly deserved to win.
“We didn’t quite handle the pressure of the game and there were some issues that came out of it. I think particularly discipline and also our ability to change the game when tactics aren’t working. But I think we really have to give significant praise to what was a pretty special performance.”
When asked about the perception that the current All Blacks side tends to struggle to cope or adjust when things don’t go well, Hart agreed, adding that one of the big issues in the current side has been discipline.
“Well at the moment I think it is,” he said about the All Blacks’ ability to cope with pressure. “I do think our discipline is letting us down. We’re giving away a lot of penalties for things that we shouldn’t be doing. I think that has to be addressed.
“The Dane Coles incident on Saturday is unnecessary and ends up putting a lot of pressure on your team. So I think there are issues like that.
“It is a question now of the team regrouping and making sure that they come together for a very important test now in terms of the All Blacks season.”
Despite the sensational performance from the Pumas, Hart said it is going to be difficult to produce a similar performance in their next test, but hoped the win was a sign of a stronger Argentinean side going forward.
“It’s going to be pretty hard for them to back it up next week for instance I would think from everything they’ve put into this game. I saw a totally different Argentinean side – a side that carried the ball and retained the ball. And a side that defended with real passion and skill. Hopefully it’s a team moving in the World Rugby order.”
Argentina are set to play three tests in three weeks, starting with the Wallabies this Saturday, followed by a rematch against the All Blacks and a final clash against the hosts.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments