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Why new ABs head coach process is 'stunningly disrespectful'

By Finn Morton
(Photo by Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images)

The New Zealand Rugby Union are expected to appoint the next All Blacks coach ahead of this year’s World Cup in France, which doesn’t bode well for Ian Foster.

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Veteran coach Foster came under immense pressure during the All Blacks’ uncharacteristically poor start to their international season last year.

After losing their final two matches on their end-of-season tour the year before, New Zealand began their 2022 campaign wit a series loss at home against Ireland.

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But that was only the start of a disastrous stretch of Test matches.

The men in black lost their next Test against fierce rivals South Africa, before bouncing back with a valiant victory at Ellis Park.

While fans continued to call for a radical change in the coaching ranks ahead of the World Cup, the NZRU publicly threw their support behind Foster.

And they went on to lose to Argentina at home for the first time a couple of weeks later.

The All Blacks seemed to turn a corner in the second-half of the season, but New Zealand rugby fans appear set in their ways.

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Supporters appear hellbent on change, and they may be about to get their wish.

According to multiple media reports, the NZRU are expected to appoint the All Blacks head coach for 2024 and beyond within the first half of this year.

NZ Herald scribe Gregor Paul doesn’t believe that Ian Foster can remain in his position after this year’s World Cup, which he said is “stunningly disrespectful.”

“If they’re doing the process now, as they seem committed to be, no. I don’t think anyone can,” Paul said on Weekend Sport with Jason Pine.

“His record today is not outstanding, and I think even he would admit that… That’s unlikely to convince anyone, at this stage, that they want to push on with that.

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“There’s obviously been a little feeling of public discontent, media discontent, with the way the team’s performed.

“If you’re going to do the process now over the next few weeks, I can’t see it.

“I think it’s a stunningly disrespectful way to treat the incumbent coaching group. Two, it prevents them from having the ability to apply for their own job.

“That group will never be taken seriously. What they really need is to go to the World Cup and be judged on that.

“It’s weird because the board backed them in August last year… now we’re effectively going to look at that group and cut them off in the next six weeks.”

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The All Blacks are a team stepped in tradition, but they’re set to go against their old ways in an attempt to usher in a new era of success.

As Paul understands it, the NZRU will “identify candidates rather than asking for applications” for the All Blacks head coaching position.

This process will be done quite quickly, with a decision set to be made and announced “by April.”

But as Paul discussed, this new approach gives other countries the opportunity to “belittle the All Blacks” throughout the sport’s most prestigious event.

“What does that give other coaching groups? Rival coaching groups (have) a great opportunity to belittle the All Blacks in the media,” he added.

“It’s probably an unsettling environment to end up with that, I don’t think it’s in the best interests of the All Blacks.

“If they decide that they’re going to appoint Razor… why wouldn’t you just say to him, ‘take the team to the World Cup, start now.’

“We’ve already determined that he’s the better guy, why wait?

“All of these things don’t really stack up as a good, logical, high-performance plan that’s giving the All Blacks the best chance of winning the World Cup.”

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Jon 6 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 8 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.

34 Go to comments
A
Adrian 10 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

34 Go to comments
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