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'Both teams deserve a lot of credit': Ian Foster reacts to record loss
By Ned Lester
The Springboks impressed everyone with their 35-7 win over the All Blacks at Twickenham, including New Zealand coach Ian Foster.
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Foster’s team were dismantled by the South African forward pack and fell to their largest-ever defeat just two weeks out from the Rugby World Cup.
Amongst the mountain of set-piece penalties, the All Blacks also coughed the ball up with numerous handling errors.
Despite the hefty loss, Foster entered his post match interview with a smile on his face.
“You couldn’t help but be impressed with what they did,” he said. “They really got stuck into us.”
“I thought their physicality and particularly their set piece, they obviously had a massive game up front, lineout time, scrum time, and that was the big difference.”
The game never strayed far from the set piece, handing the Springboks plenty of opportunities to inflict damage on a struggling New Zealand pack.
The South African pack was not just huge in stature but in numbers, having seven forwards on the bench to bring on all at once. Foster had
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“It certainly helped them today. We went with a 6-2 split and we needed that.
“I think both teams deserve a lot of credit, they put a lot into that game and it was a great spectacle.
“Two weeks out from a World Cup I think it’s going to prepare us both really, really well but it was a massive performance I thought by South Africa and they really deserve a lot of credit for it.”
A red card to Scott Barrett and an injury to Tyrel Lomax are likely to leave both players sidelined for a period.
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Foster said Lomax had sustained a deep gash in his thigh from a boot sprig. The team will have to wait and see whether either player will miss game time moving forward.
“That’s test matches, it doesn’t take anything away from, I think that both teams probably needed the game, we certainly did and you saw that.
“Even though we made lots of changes, we lost the cohesion and got put under a lot of pressure.
“But what I will say is that I know they came out of the blocks but I thought our 20 (minutes), our defence was outstanding and if we’d had more discipline in some key areas, we could of actually, counter punched there but they forced us into issues and that’s what created problems.”
In defense of Scott Barrett's stray arm that made contact with the Springbok. If the Ref is consistent & this is what we can expect in the Rugby World Cup. The game just played between AllBlacks & Springbok needs to be scrutinized by experts as the opportunist foul play was reported by the Springbok player. I appreciate the Ref made the correct decision however I have been concerned for years at the Kamokatsi players diving into a ruck.
Most players get hit on the head by an opposing player when a Kamokatsi player flies into a ruck most players when hit on the head by an unintended boot, arm, body, or leg carry on without complaining. In defense of Scott Barrett the rugby game just played needs to be scrutinized to see how many players received some sort of knock to the head. My bet is there are plenty of head contact in a game that goes missing by the Ref because players shake it off & are more concerned, they do not let their team down. To find just one other contact to the head by any player during the game must help Scott Barrett in his defense.
Their needs to be more scrutiny of rugby players entering a ruck or maul.
The outcome of this game really came down to the interpretation of the lifting laws and whether the loss of control of the lifted player was due to an early maul defence strike or to the loss of control of the lift by the lifters and the delayed return to the ground.
- Once the lineout has commenced, any player in the lineout may:
- Compete for possession of the ball.
- Catch or deflect the ball. A jumper may catch or deflect the ball with the outside arm only if they have both hands above their head. Sanction: Free-kick.
- Lift or support a team-mate. Players who do so must lower that player to the ground safely as soon as the ball is won by either team. Sanction: Free-kick.
Current interpretations differ and the three penalties that put the AB’s in the card zone were all for the same thing. There is no guidance about what constitutes “as soon as the ball is won” but it was pronounced enough for Cane and Coles to raise it with the ref.The first infringement Mostert was clearly overbalanced and some would argue was not being safely returned to the ground as soon as possible as they lost control of the lift consequently jumping across the line, and if it should have been a free kick AB.
Best time to have a good game -before the tournament. I agree Foster isn't a good coach and Kane has passed his best by date. The card incidents may be a reaction to the Andy Farell debacle. A few refereeing mistakes, to be clear not really good enough in today's game. If the officials can pick up foul play, they should be able to pick up someone passing to a man in front of them.
Totally agree Flatcoat and Driss.... Worst coach in All Black History and the worst team. Biggest All Black loss in history. Foster is certainly setting a few records. Hookers actually have to be able to throw the ball in accurately.
Players have to catch and pass the ball. Kicking the ball back with no pressure is meaningless. When we go to 'Battle" we need a General.
Cane is not rated in the top 10 No 7's in the World. Of course second rate "has beens" are going to support "A weak coach, as he mirrors their own weaknesses"
Robinson is a weak CEO, in a weak Board. So then you get weak coaches and weaker players.
The New Zealand Rugby Public will swallow anything the Rugby Union spin.
Have done for years. "OMWBBAD".......Old Men With Bad Breath And Dandruff...........
As a Saffa I will always have huge respect for the ABs. See yesterday as simply - a good day at the office for our Boks and a bad day for your ABs. Your mana and legacy will see a strong AB team pitch up for this WC.
What this is going to do is sharpen the already razor edged rivalry between SA and NZ. One thing to beat NZ in SA. And generally NZ are better than SA between World Cups, but the rivalry get's really intense at neutral venues especially at Twickenham when the whole world is watching. But respect to both teams now and always.
Yes it was a bad game but what are they going to do about it that’s the question
Rubbish..we were done over by a team that physically dominated us
Foster is in denial..all the players that saved his job were crap..the untouchables..selected despite their poor form.
Put in our place by an excellent Bok side.
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The NZ defence held incredibly well when we were down to 13 men.
Very tough to stay in the fight after a reasonably unlucky red card too. That’s why the 20 minute red is such a great option for the game.
The situation is no where near as bad as the score line suggests for the kiwis. Bring on the RWC!
This looks like the RWC that I predicted the moment they retained Ian Foster after our win in Sth Africa last year.