'Highly unlikely that I will be': Foster makes startling prediction over his All Blacks future

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has weighed in on supposed timelines for the appointment of the All Blacks coaching job for 2024 and beyond and made a frank prediction about his future.

As discussion over the coaching job intensifies, the current All Black head coach has jumped into the debate twice firstly in an interview with NZME where he expressed frustration over reports and now a telling radio interview with Newstalk ZB.

Foster even went as far as saying it would be ‘highly unlikely’ for him to hold the position next year having been contracted until the end of 2023, sensing a ‘mood for change’ within the upper ranks of NZR.

“I’m sure they’ve [NZR] got a clear idea,” Foster told Newstalk ZB. .

“That’s up to them to voice that. It does seem to be reasonably obvious, there was an interview with a coach last week that made it look like there were already plans to go early and it was frustrating to hear that from another voice.

“Either way, it seems like there’s a mood for change and I get that, but it doesn’t change the fact that this All Black team, we’ve got a big prize to win at the end of this year. There’s expectation from the public and we want everyone to get in behind us. We want to unify this country behind a team in black.”

“I’m looking at the energy and debate going on here and it’s about individuals, it’s about what suits people regarding timing and quite frankly I don’t know if going early or late is going to suit me either way.

“I think it’s pretty highly unlikely that I will be in this job next year but I keep getting asked about whether I’m going to apply.

“I think that’s not the big question for me, the big question is what’s the best thing for the All Blacks in 2023.”

The current head coach has been left frustrated by reports that the new coaching team would be put in place by April for 2024, before the All Blacks even play a test in 2023 as they prepare for the Rugby World Cup.

Foster indicated that certain staffers would then be given an indication of where they stand under the new regime.

“And I have sat back and looked at a whole lot of views that have been put out there,” Foster told NZME.

“Some have been frustrating to hear and a particular frustration is that there seems to be a focus on setting timetables based on what some preferred candidates feel is right for them versus potentially what is right for this All Blacks team.

“We have got players pushing to be in the right shape, and then to say to some of these people – in April/May – maybe time is up, for some that will be okay and for others it might not, but that is the gamble.

“I think you weigh up the pros and cons of that and I think it is unnecessary.”

Foster’s turbulent time as All Blacks head coach started in 2020 when the All Blacks won three of six tests, including a historic first ever loss to Argentina in Sydney.

After a 3-0 sweep of the Wallabies in 2021, the All Blacks stumbled on the end of year tour with a loss to the Springboks in the final Rugby Championship game before losing the two biggest tests of the year to Ireland and France.

In 2022 the losses kept coming with a historic 2-1 series loss to Ireland in July followed by an away loss to South Africa in Mbombela and a home loss to Argentina, before going on a run of six straight test wins before drawing with England.

Foster said the team is desperate to earn respect back by bringing the World Cup back to New Zealand later this year, which if successful, the .

“My job is to focus on what is right for the team. I love this job and I have got a highly motivated coaching group and management team that are working hard, doing everything we can to make this country proud in France,” he said.

 “We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that – bring the World Cup home – and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”