The All Blacks coaching drama has breathed life into The Rugby Championship
The empire may be crumbling, but at least Sam Cane and Ian Foster are still standing.
It’s been a comical couple of weeks for the All Blacks, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the media.
I’m going to absent Cane from the discussion, at this point.
He isn’t, unlike Foster, turning up at press conferences proclaiming himself to be the man in charge and to possess all the answers.
He isn’t throwing underlings under the bus and avoiding any responsibility himself.
No, Cane is just a lightning rod for the public’s dissatisfaction with Foster and NZR, having been promoted to and retained in a position for which he’s not suited.
I actually feel sorry for Cane, who appears a pawn in the game being played by his coach and employers.
I also feel sorry for Chiefs fans, who’ve seen this movie before. All of them know that as soon as Foster goes, the team will start winning. It’s just that the wait in the meantime feels so interminable.
I feel a little sorry for John Plumtree and Brad Mooar too, who’ve paid for the inadequacies of Foster and the reluctance of any other coach to come to NZR’s rescue.
That’s not to say Plumtree and Mooar have done a good job. Although who among us is in team meetings and at training?
Truth is, these men were expendable and Foster, it appears, was not.
We’re told, by Foster, that his heart-to-heart discussions with the playing group revealed that Plumtree and Mooar had lost the team’s confidence and support. Fair enough.
But which player in their right mind is going to say, ‘actually, let me stop you there, Ian. It’s not them, it’s you’.
It was funny to see the way some media got a bit giddy on the idea that the winds of change were about to sweep through the All Blacks. That maybe Foster and Cane might both go and that it was time to air various grievances with the team and NZR.
We had bold predictions and talk of sources suggesting various heads would roll.
Didn’t turn out that way, did it?
And that’s all about the breathtaking arrogance of NZR and the contempt with which they view opinions from outside the inner sanctum.
Covering the team, provided scheduled press conferences and Zoom calls go ahead, is going to be rather awkward from here on.
Hey, and don’t dare be critical of anyone either, because you’ll get lectured on LinkedIn by NZR staff.
If you ever wondered if the media matter or if public opinion can affect change, then you got your answer last Friday. The good folk at NZR don’t care a fig for what anyone else thinks.
The upshot will be interesting. I’ll admit I’ve already whacked a few bucks on the All Blacks beating South Africa by 13+ in a couple of weeks’ time.
I mean, if Foster is any kind of coach and the All Blacks themselves have any kind of pride, then they’ll belt the Springboks at Mbombela Stadium.
But what am I hoping for? Performances and results that continue to reflect poorly on Foster and heap pressure upon NZR to admit their appointment process was all wrong.
I want to see them squirm and I know I’m not alone in that.
Our worst fears are being realised here. People, going way back to when Foster succeeding Steve Hansen was first sign-posted, predicted things would go this way.
That he was not equipped to perform the role and that the team would go backwards.
Even a halfwit like me was able to see that.
As for NZR, this is yet another instance in which they’ve reinforced their reputation for being insular and out of touch.
Well, they’ve made their bed now. They’ve staked everything on Foster and they’ve absolved him of any blame.
And, if nothing else, they’ve breathed life into the ailing Rugby Championship.
I know I’ll be watching the Springboks tests live, rather than waiting till a more convenient hour to catch a replay.
Not least to see what happens should the All Blacks lose again.
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments