1
Ian Foster doubles down on backing controversial Raynal call
By AAP
Ian Foster says New Zealand have been driving a speed-up-the-game message all year and has doubled down on his endorsement of the controversial Bledisloe Cup time-wasting penalty.
ADVERTISEMENT
All Blacks coach Foster on Saturday stood by his post-match opinion that the final-minute free kick awarded against Wallabies five-eighth Bernard Foley in Melbourne on Thursday was correct and fair.
The under-pressure coach said Foley had given French referee Mathieu Raynal no choice but to blow the whistle for the free kick that allowed the All Blacks to score after the siren for a dramatic victory which ensured they retain the Cup.
He said Foley was simply guilty of poor game management by not listening to the referee and said the wider issue of time-wasting in modern rugby was a separate point.
“We’ve been trying to drive that message all year, to be fair, with how teams slow things down,” Foster told NZ’s Newstalk ZB.
“When it comes back to how can you speed the game up, we’re certainly in on that debate.
“With the (potential introduction of a time limit on) scrum resets, they are making moves to do that.
“There’s clearly delays in teams going to lineouts and maybe that’s another area where we could improve as a game.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Overall I think there’s a whole lot of little areas where things can change, but I just don’t really believe that the last decision is tied to that debate.”
He said he didn’t understand the angst over the Foley call.
“Should you actually listen to a referee on the field when he’s asking you to do something?,” the coach said.
“The ref was very clear with his instructions, and the game has to give authority to the referee.
“If he’s asking players to do something to speed things up, it’s our job to respond to it.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The game is run by the referee. He said time off, he warned them, he said time on and then he asked them twice to play it. So I don’t actually really see the issue with it.”
Foster isn’t confident that incident will spark a movement among referees to clamp down on time-wasting tactics.
The All Blacks will host Australia at a sold-out Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
Everyone's missing the point...they were awarded a scrum not a penalty try. Scrums don't automatically constitute a try. It also took less time for the AB's to run halfway down the field to pack the scrum then it took Foley to kick..
I for one is enjoying all this crying - Nic White got away with it - so now he cries when things does not go his way. The ref spoke and he did not listen.
Refs start following rules all the time. The Aussies had been warned more than once in the game. Rubbish, when the ABs kick for touch they don’t time waste. And it is completely rubbish that the refs favour the ABs. You guys have such one sided opinions,
Is there an actual "time" in the rules that someone is allowed to take?
For a conversion it is 90seconds, which the ABS kicker went over twice in the game,
If a referee is going to start using a rule that is grey at best and also never used then both teams should be made aware of it before the game that no time wasting will be tolerated.
But is there a time frame in the rules for a kicking the ball out scenario? A specific time, like the 90sec conversion rule?
I disagree totally Robert. If it happened against the All Blacks we would all be on the back of the player and coach for lack of discipline, not to mention stupidity. We are all well aware of other teams slowing down the game. So we would definitely take it on the chin if it was us. I just don’t think we would do that. Foley knew what he was doing. His own team were yelling at him. In doing what he did he had to accept the risks.
The issue is Ian had the decision been made against the All Blacks, it would then be an issue.