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Ian Foster reveals the toughest positional groups to pick for All Blacks

By Sam Smith
(Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has admitted he will be forced to make some big selection calls when picking his next squad for the three-test series against Ireland in July.

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Speaking on The Breakdown, Foster shed some light on how he is going to select his upcoming All Blacks squad, revealing the toughest areas of selection will come in the midfield, loose forwards and front row.

“I think we’ve got some big decisions to make in the midfield, we’ve probably got some big decisions to make in the loose forwards,” Foster told The Breakdown.

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What the All Blacks squad could look like halfway through Super Rugby Pacific | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

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What the All Blacks squad could look like halfway through Super Rugby Pacific | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

“I’d also put the front row in that category as well. We were forced to take eight props with us last year, and so we won’t be taking eight props this year and so there will be some tough decisions.”

Foster made particular note of the logjam in the national loose forward pecking order, citing the form and ability of the test rugby rookies who have featured in his previous squads from the past two years as aspects that have added a layer of “complexity” to his decision-making as a selector.

“Clearly, the last two years, we’ve had a lot of opportunities for a number of new players to come in and put their hand up, and many of them have actually played really, really well,” Foster said.

“You look at some of our loose forwards and some of the versatility we’ve got – the Ethan Blackadders, Akira [Ioane] who’s coming back, the rise of Dalton [Papalii] – has all added a little bit of complexity, but that’s exciting for us.”

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Foster added that he is anticipating on naming a 36-man squad for the Ireland series, the same-sized squad that was named for last year’s mid-year tests against Tonga and Fiji.

That squad grew over the course of the year, though, as border restrictions and extensive travel forced Foster to balloon his touring squad up to 40 players by the end of last November’s European tour.

As such, not all of those who featured for the All Blacks last year will be included in Foster’s next squad, which he said may shrink below his initial 36-man threshold should injuries mount in Super Rugby Pacific.

“36 [players] for the first squad, that’s sort of a standard Steinlager Series-sized squad, but that can change,” Foster told The Breakdown.

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“Maybe it won’t go up, but it could change slightly down based on injuries and who we have left standing after Super Rugby.”

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Foster also hinted that he will look to use this test campaign as a chance to develop some continuity in his match day selections as he enters the second half of the current World Cup cycle.

“If you look at a normal World Cup cycle, you normally spend two years, I guess, really cementing your culture, your team, your plan, then you spend your third year really building your depth and honing it down,” he said.

“Your fourth year, you just go and do it at a World Cup. We’ve probably had to flip that over a little bit.

“The first two years, with the circumstances we got dealt with, we had to leave the shores with big squads, so we’ve really had a depth strategy the last two years, and this year we’ve got to hone that right down.

“In many ways, whilst picking the 34, 36-man squad, it’s going to be tough, and it always is, but a lot of our energy right now is on the combinations within that, within the [starting] 15 down to the [match day] 23.

“This year, I think you’ll see us focus more cementing combinations and having a bit more continuity in how we select the group.”

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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