Sacking Ian Foster would be ‘unexpected U-turn’ in NZR traditions – Stevenson

The All Blacks are not playing like a side that has faith in their coaching setup and game plan, rugby commentator Scotty Stevenson says.

However, Stevenson does not expect New Zealand Rugby to “kowtow” to fans and sack head coach Ian Foster.

Will Jordan looks dejected after the loss in Wellington.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

It’s been a calamitous couple of weeks for the All Blacks, suffering a first ever series defeat to Ireland.

Ireland sewed up the series on Saturday night in Wellington, dominating the All Blacks in a 32-22 win.

In the history of the All Blacks – 119 years of test matches – they had never been down at half-time by as many points, 19, and things only got marginally better after the break.

Afterwards, coach Foster refused to answer questions about his future in the role and New Zealand Rugby then cancelled his Sunday press conference. A petition has started to have him removed from the job.

NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson issued a short statement saying the All Blacks’ performance had been [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/471101/all-blacks-loss-there-is-a-huge-amount-of-work-to-do

unacceptable and a review would be carried out.]

Stevenson said the All Black environment did not look good at the moment.

In a piece for The Spinoff he said the series loss was “what happens when you package up 120 years of respected representative sporting success, call it a brand, and sell it off to Oxbridge dudebro buddies in an act of ego-inflating, nausea-inducing corporate capriciousness”.

He told Morning Report that over the past three years New Zealand Rugby had only been concerned about what the game was worth.

The sale to Silver Lake was based on the reputation and past results of the All Blacks and also the understanding they would be maintained.

“At the moment this All Black side doesn’t look like it’s capable of achieving the levels of success of its predecessors,” Stenson said.

The biggest concern for fans was that good teams with a deep trust in what they were doing did not play the way the All Blacks were at present.

Photo: Photosport

He said he did not know if there was something wrong with the system and its organisation or whether the All Blacks had reached a low ebb in terms of quality players.

“You’re not going to have great All Black sides every year but again if you tell everyone that you are the greatest rugby team in the world you’d best be prepared for the pressure that comes with that claim.”

So far as Foster’s position was concerned he said the All Blacks did not look like a team that had full faith in the coaching setup and their game plan.

The side had not just looked unsure of itself during the Ireland series – it stretched back over two or three years and while there had been the Covid-19 pandemic during this time it seemed to be more than that.

Foster’s initial appointment as head coach was unpopular which meant increased scrutiny and pressure.

“Unfortunately the results have not gone his way, have not gone his team’s way, so that scrutiny just gets bigger and bigger.”

It was “not a good look” for Foster to have to front up to NZR headquarters in Wellington for a “please explain” on what has gone wrong over the last fortnight.

He does not expect Foster to lose his job in the meantime.

“I think that would be such an unexpected U-turn from an organisation that has never seen fit to kowtow to the fans’ wishes in the past. I think Ian Foster will be safe at least for the tour to South Africa.”

The All Blacks will face the Springboks in two tests as part of the Rugby Championship next month.

Ian Foster at a post-match media briefing on Saturday night.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

‘Things they need to fix’

Former All Black halfback Ant Strachan said Robinson had little choice but to announce a comprehensive review given the All Blacks’ performance.

“Robust” discussions were needed, he said. “There’s certainly things they need to fix.”

The appointment of the All Blacks was usually cyclical, centred on the four-yearly Rugby World Cup, so it would be unusual to change the coach now.

However, rugby was like any business and when things were not going well it was not inconceivable that the coach would be dumped.

He suggested it would be better to tap into the expertise of the likes of Crusaders coach Scott Robertson to help during the current crisis.

Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt is also poised to join the All Blacks coaching lineup.

“Why can’t we utilise the knowledge of coaches external to this particular group to help us? … We want this team to collectively get better so why can’t we just ask those questions of those that don’t sit in the inner sanctum… Maybe we get an idea or two that can just flick the switch and turn away from what we have been producing in the last year or two.”

Strachan said it was not a time for panic, there were solutions and the All Blacks needed to go back to square one and use all the resources possible to make some meaningful changes.

The Irish were at the top of their game at present, their attack was far superior and multi-dimensional. It was founded on “impressive collision work”, winning all the contact and carrying the ball well.

The All Blacks were not defending that with their approach on the field. “We have been getting beaten up a little bit physically: the English, the South Africans, the French and now the Irish.”

Ireland are at the top of their game right now, Ant Strachan says.
Photo: Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz

In the past the All Blacks outmuscled sides and were superior in the contact area but right now they did not seem to be implementing the game plans set by coaches.

New Zealand was still producing skilled players and the review would need to consider whether some top performers at Super Rugby level had been overlooked.

However, Strachan expected the current group would form the basis for the next World Cup in France next year.

“I think it’s more around how we defend and how we attack – I think those two areas we need to look at very closely.”

Crusaders halfback and co-host of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Bryn Hall, said players would be gutted by the series loss and it would be beneficial for them to head to South Africa.

Ireland’s attack and its play at the breakdown were superior to the All Blacks and these were factors that needed to be improved.

He believed the All Blacks still trusted Foster and it would not be ideal to change their coach now.

However, if the review concluded something radical was needed the change should be made quickly – certainly not at the end of the year with the Rugby World Cup looming next year.