Ian Foster reveals where the All Blacks fell short at the Rugby World Cup
Ian Foster has admitted that the All Blacks need to “figure out” a new way of playing if they are to get back to the top of world rugby.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Breakdown, the new All Blacks coach opened up on his side’s semifinal defeat to England at last year’s World Cup, saying there are a few changes needed in the team environment.
“There are a few things in our environment that we do need to re-shape,” Foster said.
“We need to figure out how to play teams physically when they play us physically. More and more teams are wanting to prevent us from playing.”
Foster, who took over from the All Blacks’ most successful coach in Steve Hansen, said the team’s inability to adapt to the unique challenge proposed by England ended up costing them.
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“When we get our game right, when we understand the nature of the beast we’re playing – we got up for South Africa, we got up for Ireland – I thought they were outstanding games. But we didn’t get up for England.
“We didn’t define that challenge well enough. They played us a certain way, and it looked like it surprised us, even though it shouldn’t have. We’ve got to figure out how we approach that type of challenge. Some of the physicality of our game, and where we use it, needs addressing.”
The 54-year-old urged the next generation of All Blacks to use that loss as fuel to reclaim their No 1 status in world rugby.
“Nobody in the playing group had lost a World Cup game,” Foster said. “Now we know what it feels like, and it’s not nice. That’s got to fuel this next generation. We want to be No 1, and we’re not, and it hurt.”
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Last year, halfback Aaron Smith echoed similar sentiments of the “tough” review process after the All Blacks’ heartbreaking defeat, something that still seems to be on Foster’s mind.
“The review process was ruthless. It was tough,” Smith told the Rugby Bricks podcast.
“We were watching one of the worst games we’ve ever played, and you’re part of some ugly stuff. Was the effort there? It was big-picture, there was no actual name-calling, just things like ‘We needed to be better there, here’s a big moment that we mucked up, here’s a chance that we could have made.
“Steve did it with the whole room – everyone got their one minute or two minutes to say how they felt. There was a range of emotions – there were 51 of us there to start the review.”
Warren Gatland has given a rare insight into his halftime team talks following consecutive second half comebacks by the Chiefs. #SuperRugby https://t.co/WDGg8oD9cA
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The review followed a meeting that the leadership team had the day before, which featured elements that Smith said he ‘hated hearing’.
“We had our leadership meeting with the coaches and it was tough – Steve Hansen asked right away ‘how do you feel right now?’ We all told each other how we felt – and as you can imagine it was pretty sombre.
“One thing I love and hate about rugby players is we won’t take the glory either, but we love falling on the sword, and that’s what I hated the most about what I was hearing – we all wanted to jump on the sword, you know – ‘It was because of me’.
“Coach was like ‘cut that – it wasn’t that, we all did our part, and we all lost’. That was what I hated hearing, some of the best players in the world saying ‘it was my fault’ or ‘If I had done this…’ But the good thing was once we all said how we felt, we all felt a bit better.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
New Zealand Rugby are set to review their controversial All Blacks rest policy:
Comments on RugbyPass
Geez plenty of time to come right before test season starts. Dont panic mr Mannering!!!!!
1 Go to commentsGreat read Nick. The Reds really have been great to watch this year, and the improvement of not only the players you mention, but the squad in general has been obvious. The Reds 10/12 play making axis is a nice counterpoint to the 10/15 partnership at the Brumbies and Rebels. If Schmidt was to pick say, Lolesio, Paisami and Wright / Kellaway, would this be too many play makers? I notice in a lot of those clips Tim Ryan playing across the field in support of Vunivalu. Is this a feature of Kiss’s structure?
2 Go to commentsSo sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
2 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
6 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
6 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
6 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to comments