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UK critic says time is running out for All Blacks boss Ian Foster

By Sam Smith
(Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Outspoken British rugby columnist Stephen Jones has taken aim at Ian Foster and the All Blacks, saying the Kiwi coach’s reign in charge of New Zealand could be cut short if he fails to turn things around next year.

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In his second season in charge of the All Blacks, Foster guided his side to 12 wins from 15 tests in a a turbulent year that started with five inbound matches but ended with a three-month trek around the globe.

While the All Blacks emerged unscathed in their home fixtures against Tonga, Fiji and the Wallabies, they suffered defeat against the Springboks in the final match of the Rugby Championship, which was held almost entirely in Australia.

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However, Foster’s side won both the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship in their seven-week stay across the Tasman, which was followed by a five-week journey across the northern hemisphere.

That leg of their tour started with comprehensive victories over the USA and Wales, but a frustrating performance against Italy was backed up by consecutive defeats to Ireland and France in their final two matches of the year.

Those losses – the first time the All Blacks have lost consecutive while on tour in Europe since 1935/36 – left the Kiwi public baying for Foster’s blood as calls grew for Crusaders boss Scott Robertson to replace him at the helm of the team.

Robertson missed out on the All Blacks job to Foster after Sir Steve Hansen left the role two years ago in an unpopular decision by New Zealand Rugby given the title-winning credentials of the unsuccessful applicant.

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Jones, a vocal critic of the All Blacks, was among those left unconvinced by the appointment of Foster, who served as Hansen’s assistant between 2012 and 2019, and relayed his doubts regarding the 56-year-old over the weekend.

Writing for the Sunday Times, Jones compared Foster’s fate as All Blacks head coach to that of recently-sacked Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Skolskjaer if he continues to lose significant tests against the likes of Ireland, France and the Springboks.

“It is something to cherish for them when their most disastrous losing run extends not back into the mists of time, but for only two games,” Jones wrote.

“But should that losing run continue much longer there is no way that the All Blacks will wait as long in turfing out their head coach Ian Foster, the man with the hidden personality, as did Manchester United in dispatching Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.”

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The Irish and French wins over New Zealand added to a test window where the northern hemisphere nations dominated their southern counterparts.

The Wallabies, on the back of two victories over the Springboks, went winless against Scotland, England and Wales, while South Africa fell short against the English after working hard for wins over the Welsh and the Scots.

Jones wrote that the onus is now on the European juggernauts to continue to impose themselves on the global stage and make a habit of beating their southern opponents as the 2023 World Cup in France broadens on the horizon.

“Famous wins are looked back on with more than a whiff of nostalgia. The business of winning is a more brutal and unemotional, forward-looking business,” he wrote in the Sunday Times.

“Give me a rugby nation that makes winning into a habit like New Zealand. The national angst after their back-to-back defeats against northern hemisphere opposition perceived as lesser reflects grand expectations.”

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Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 11 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.

21 Go to comments
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