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It's hard to see the All Blacks getting better under Foster's watch
Whatever it is that ails the All Blacks, I have no faith in Ian Foster to fix it.
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I know I’m not alone in being pleased that France beat New Zealand on Sunday. Not pleased for rugby, mind, nor pleased for the French or their fans. No, simply pleased that Foster’s failings were again laid bare.
If I have an abiding memory of that 40-25 thumping, it’ll be Foster stood alone and befuddled on the Stade de France pitch at fulltime, before having a good old chuckle with France coach Fabien Galthie.
I have to say I cringed.
For all the lessons and “learnings’’ Foster incessantly maintains the team are taking from games and for all the key areas he’s allegedly identified for improvement, the All Blacks are getting worse.
Not because they’re on tour or confined to barracks or away from their loved ones. No, good players are being made to look bad because of the collective confusion about what they’re trying to do out there.
We’re to blame too. We in the media and those of us who just watch on frustrated from our coaches, we’re all complicit in creating an environment where a man like Foster can prosper.
Who’s actively challenging the man or the people who employed him? Who’s calling out all this cobblers about lessons? Who’s getting a fair hearing when they suggest Foster should be sacked now?
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Instead we allow this narrative to develop about rocks under a beach towel and off-season soul searching and how it’ll all help conjure up bold new ideas for 2022. Give me a break.
We treat – and have treated over many decades – the words of All Blacks coaches as if they were sacred. We have endured their bluff and bluster and assumed that they were in fact all-knowing and all-seeing geniuses who would be proved right in the end.
We have allowed these men – and their players – to believe they are infallible and we have rounded on those who dared mutter any words of disappointment or dissatisfaction with the regime.
Why can’t Foster be sacked? Because his contract has been extended to 2023, apparently.
Well, that doesn’t stop the likes of Manchester United. They’ve extended the contracts of their three most-recent managers and then turned around and binned the lot of them.
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Now, Manchester United’s failings as an organisation go a lot deeper than the manager, but so do the problems at New Zealand Rugby (NZR).
It is shameful that Foster was appointed in the first place. Succession is a flawed concept, with Foster being exhibit A at this point.
What kind of credible organisation opts for something as lazy and complacent as succession? I mean, honestly.
But look at the Black Ferns. They’re being embarrassed by teams with inferior talent, but better coaching, just like the All Blacks are.
Check out the 2022 Super Rugby squads. They’re full of boys with no runs on the board, plus a few All Blacks who’ll have to lace their boots up reluctantly.
We have let a whole tier of talent – blokes whose presence here played a critical part in the success of the All Blacks – simply leave the country. Guys who, year after year, kept franchise incumbents honest and pushed for test inclusion or even accumulated a couple of caps themselves have all upped and gone and left us with very little.
The same with our coaches.
If there’s an impediment to punting Foster, it’s that domestic alternatives are virtually non-existent. We’ve been left with just Scott Robertson, because men such as Dave Rennie and Jamie Joseph and Pat Lam and Chris Boyd weren’t awfully welcome here and now impart their immense knowledge elsewhere.
Robertson has his strengths, but he’s now being cast in the role of saviour and that’s a heavy burden to put on anyone.
New Zealand Rugby aren’t going to make a change at the helm of the All Blacks, because no-one’s going to make them. Those who argue for Foster’s removal can be dismissed as halfwits and malcontents because the governing body controls the narrative.
Too many people are too beholden to NZ Rugby Inc for change to happen, while the team itself are so disconnected from fans that they couldn’t give a hoot what we think.
I really don’t see the All Blacks getting better on Foster’s watch. They don’t have a coherent gameplan of their own and are regularly flummoxed by what opponents throw at them.
How can that be? How can all the hours of meetings and training and video analysis and blokes running onto the paddock with messages result in continual confusion?
The only conclusion to draw is that it’s because the bloke in charge doesn’t know what he’s doing.
The All Blacks have been the epitome of excellence for decades, but the latest inheritors of that legacy are fast becoming an embarrassment.
Comments on RugbyPass
Huge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
215 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
36 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
11 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
36 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
215 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
215 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
36 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
36 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
215 Go to comments