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‘What we’ve learned’: What the All Blacks need to do to win the Rugby World Cup

By Finn Morton
The All Blacks perform the Haka before the 2022 Autumn Nations Series, rugby union test match between Scotland and New Zealand on November 13, 2022 at the BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland (Photo by Malcolm Mackenzie/DPPI/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

With this year’s Rugby World Cup just around the corner, coach Ian Foster has spoken about what lessons the All Blacks have learned over the last four years.

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As the countdown to this year’s tournament in France continues to tick by, the stage has already been set ahead of what promises to be the most competitive Rugby World Cup yet.

The All Blacks are not considered to be the favourites for this year’s event, instead, northern hemisphere heavyweights France and Ireland will carry the responsibility of that label.

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Last year, New Zealand started their international campaign with an historic series loss at home against Ireland – and things went from bad to worse in The Rugby Championship.

Losses to world champions South Africa, and a first-ever loss to Argentina in New Zealand followed, which continued to pile the pressure on All Blacks coach Ian Foster.

To put it simply, the All Blacks just didn’t look like themselves throughout the first half of 2022.

While they were able to turn a corner in the back half of the year, and ended up winning the TRC, there are still questions that remain answered about this team.

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But any scrutiny, criticism or doubt while either be proved true or silenced at this year’s World Cup.

Coach Ian Foster has revealed what the All Blacks have to do in order to win this year’s Rugby World Cup.

“We’ve got to make sure that we really continue the growth on the key areas that other teams like to go to, to accumulate points,” Foster said on Weekend Sport with Jason Pine.

“What we’ve learned the last three or four years, what we know is if you enable people to come at you through the set-piece, through driving plays… then it’s long night in the office.

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“We need to look at how we stay focus and calm when we’re actually playing well.

“I know that sounds a bit strange but last year one of our biggest weaknesses was when we were leading by 10 or 15 points… teams start to come back at us, we just had little periods of games where we just lost our way.

“Really demanding that 100 per cent concentration right through a game. There’s a couple of little points.”

France are widely considered to be the favourites ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup on home soil.

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Les Bleus have been the world’s form team for quite some time now, although they were bested by Ireland in the Six Nations earlier in 2023.

The All Blacks will take on France in the tournament’s opening match in September – playing in front of a crowd who “will want to see us trip up.”

“World Cups are very unique,” Foster added. “We’re going down to a World Cup and a country with a foreign language and where the host nation is probably the favourite.

“We’re not gonna be going into a warm fuzzy environment where everyone loves us and wants to be around the All Blacks, we’re going around a country that actually will want to see us trip up and not play well.

“I think how we embrace and get excited about that challenge is going to be big for us.”

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Trevor 2 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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Bull Shark 6 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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