All Blacks fans should do the right thing and admit fault

It’s annoying as a (non Kiwi) ABs fan to be lumped in with all the keyboard warriors from Canterbury. Even today I’m seeing people saying that Blackadder should start and Will Jordan is out of position. And basically pre-emptively throwing Foster under a bus for selections that will “lose us the game”.

Joe Schmidht is written all over the NZ improvement.

NZ like England also benefitted from luck. NZ were easily outclassed by the better Team France. Should SA have beaten Ireland then NZ were exiting in the quarter.

What a ridiculous notion by this writer. And of course, all the ugly stuff comes out from the folks on the net about All Black conduct. Death, taxes and rugby pundits throwing stones out the windows of their glass houses. Foster has a record, and that record in relative terms is very very poor. The AB’s win rate under Fozzies is almost as poor as South Africa’s win rate, which is unacceptable for the winningest team in sports history. You wouldn't praise a doctor who botched up a number of surgery’s just because he turns around and pulls off a heart transplant. The guy would be got rid of. The black jersey has a legacy, and that legacy has been tarnished by a number of very poor, un-All Black type results which means he deserves criticism. It's not that black or white Mr Morton.

And a few weeks ago, when the ABs were losing, journalists were painting a different picture of Foster’s journey, weren’t they?

I wish people would stop flipping everytime a result comes or goes. The ABs haven’t even won anything yet - will everybody flip again if the ABs lose this weekend?

Personally, I am getting tired of people writing scripts for outcomes of matches that haven’t happened already. Let us see what the result is first, then people can write stories about it later.

Another metric must be how the coach has sustained NZ supposed ethos of integrity, respecting other teams, fellow competitors and supporters and rugby’s ethos.

The wobbles of the last few years have resulted in a diminishing of International respect for NZ not because of you losing some matches but perhaps around your conduct since that time and your conduct in losing. Demonizing an opponent is not a good losing gambit. The sneering at retiring Irish rugby players and mocking of the Irish crowd after the final whistle are symtoms of that demonization. We know how to lose in the NH and sic nations. And we talk to each other. The image you have of the All Blacks, exists primarily only in NZ now. That will be a legacy of Foster. Straight question.

Are you ok with this?

If he wins the World Cup, then I’ll eat my words and admit my wrongs.

Until then, he hasn’t achieved anything. The series loss to Ireland is still unforgivable.

New Zealand fans would never give credit where it’s due unless Fozzie brings home the World Cup. A large majority of keyboard coaches feel this way, I am proud to say I backed the boys from the beginning. To blame Foz for the losses against Ireland basically dismisses the efforts of Ireland and Argentina. They like to mention Ryan and Schmidt as the true masterminds behind the success, no doubt they’ve helped, but what happened when we got run off the park against the Boks and lost to France first time ever in a pool match? Oh that’s right it was all Fozzy😒just so childish. I’m backing them all the way.

Fozzie did what all good managers do - surround himself with the best people.

If he had Ryan and Joe Schmidt from the start then Ireland wouldn’t have won in Nz and Argentina would still be waiting for their first victory against the ABs.

However, even Fozzie himself knows what he was dishing up was unacceptable before the win at joburg.

If he wins the RWC he should be rightly praised for a remarkable turnaround and finally getting the right people in place to dramatically improve the quality of coaching and modernise how the ABs play the game.

A fair summation. I am very proud of the efforts that Fozzie and the team hasve put in to dig themselves out of a large hole. After the 2019 semifinal loss we had to change as a team and shore up our forward play. It has taken us 4 years to identify those players and give them the skill sets required and game plans to take us back to the top and hopefully keep us there. Win or lose this weekend I am very proud and respectful of Fozzie and his team. The great redemption story that I hope has a fairy tale ending.

Cheers Finn.

It’s been a massive 4 years from a fans perspective, at the end of the day, everyone has different things they see of value, some build to the RWC, just want to win that, others see undefeated in all tests, or winning all the championships available. Foster after 4 years has won all cups but the RWC (which could happened).

In July 22 when he was told his assistants weren’t getting the team to where they needed to be was a huge moment, he could have gone with them but choose to stay, head coaches have always been allowed to alter there assistants, at the end of the day he took a gamble on them at end of 2021 and they didn’t come through in the Irish series.

He’s turned it around with Ryan and Schmidt, it shows to me that Plumtree and Moar have been more of an issue then Fozzie, which you don’t know until given a shot and it didn’t work out.

I hope they win on Sunday and he and the whole group can go out on a high.

Lots of on-point comments in the chat section. There’s no need for me to pile on. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is the last 7 games. It’s great that the entire squad has made it to the final, but they’ve only faced 3 high quality teams in recent weeks: SA, France and Ireland and they’ve only beaten one of them. Amongst the losses is the AB’s largest ever loss, to the team they face again this weekend.

It’s good that they have made it to the final and congratulations to all involved for that, but Foster and team will be mainly judged on the outcome of this weekend.

Well done Fozzie, the Management team and the players, for the great performances during this rugby world cup.

One more for old times sake now. Good luck to all.

Finn hit the handbrake bro fosters super record very good players rubbish results dave rennie took over same players won it playing a SPECTACULAR brand of rugby every coach since then stellar results . He got the job thru steves endorsement best coach ever chose HIS coaching team, once again fail .How do you fail with first choice, the best players in the world HE HAD TO GO BRO . Personally as soon as joe and jason came on board i was all good yah class undeniable pedigree . Finn our talent pool of rugby players /legacy is second to none , NONE!!! can you diggit . unfortunately we dont suffer mediocre when your,ve got the best cards but cant play the hand well we (the public) changed that and i even after twickenham i knew this team had the goods the RC performances bledisloe it was there just not consistent …..yet .Now i believe foster is letting joe and jason have open slather on decisions and is finally openly saying what a great coaching team they ALL are and thats awesome too its now a 100% functional family . Fault finn fault this is family shit piss off we,ll sort it out, its sorted now we are one big happy family again good luck fossie and goodluck boys ,you couldnt be more ready

Foster has been saved by his players and his assistants. The ABs record under Foster is terrible by our standards so expectations were low, especially after the losses to Boks and Frogs a few weeks back. Yes he deserves credit for turning things around but many believe Robertson could have got us to the finals anyway. All will be forgiven if the ABs win on the weekend.

ABs by 8 (hopefully).

I really don't understand the garbage people are throwing yes it's been a hard 4years for everyone in the all blacks camp.Fozzie started by learning about his charge got the feel ok you might think it took to long to get the measure of the team but he got it none the less and has strode forward with full force Fozzie along with the team have a lot to be proud of and I for one are looking forward to the team lifting that 4th cup and the thanks to Fozzie for all his efforts well done everyone in the all blacks camp even the orange boy well done enjoy the final people win loose or draw we are the best.

I think he learned to be ruthless in sacking his assistants. He then got a winning combination with Schmidt and Ryan. Maybe if the NZ public weren’t so unsatisfied with his performance he may not have done that? There are 5m stakeholders remember

I will be happy for Foster should he come out victorious, and I am here for his comeback story.

But the fact that this All Blacks team was capable of performing as they have should only show that the critisism was due. More defeats than we had seen in a long time, record high defeats and defeats to teams we had never been beaten by. A World Cup win doesn’t undo this, and thr critisism still holds.

Ian Foster deserves praise for what he has achieved at this tournament, and deserves to be celebrated should he win. But as he is celebrated, so too should he be accountable for his record for his entire tenure as coach.

I was one of many thousands who were uncertain that the All Blacks would get pass the quarter v Ireland! I am glad that The All Blacks proved me wrong. Now I am behind The All Blacks, and Fozzie especially, he deserves to go out by winning The World Cup 🏆 💯 %

Go The All Blacks , Good Luck 👍

If the ABs win Foster will be knighted, and rightly so.

But there is no measure under which he would be considered an all time great coach. It wasn’t just the poor results, it was utter shambles of the first three years of his tenure. The first loss to Argentina was a warning sign, the NH tour of 2021 was a nuclear fallout siren. A very clear and loud signal that the ABs were WELL off the pace of the best teams.

NZR deserve every bit of criticism aimed their way, and from what I read from anyone with a half a brain cell this is where most of the darkest and vitriolic criticism was aimed.

Foster seems like a very nice, humble, and loyal guy. Everyone who knows him says that, the players love him, and I’ve never seen or heard anything to contrary. He didn’t deserve the hate filled personal comments people made, but his coaching, selections, tactics, and complete lack of any coherent plan for how the ABs were going to play rugby deserved every bit of criticism.

It’s no coincidence that things started to go right when someone with experience of building a successful international team joined the coaching set up. Everything that has happened since Foster was handed the job has vindicated the fact that he should never have been appointed in the first place.

No. I wont recant. 1.The highly valid criticism was as much against the NZRU for its rotten selection process that saw the most suitable candidate with a superb cv lose to a loyal insider with a crappy record as head coach. 2. Noone made Foster select the two dud assistants he started with. Are we supposed to celebraye him getting two guys of quality that should have been there in the first place. 3. The losses would have been understood if there was any kind of coherent pattern to the AB game, but there wasnt. It was a shapeless shambles that only came right once credible coaches joined the hapless head coach. 3. The idea that RWC wins are all that matter is offensive to real fans who celebrate the hard won legacy of excellence that went before the last 6 yrs and crumbled so abjectly post 2019. 4. But for injury we would still have Barrett as a mediocre wing and ponderous FB instead of the massively successful 12 that he is…a role that Foster pretty much said ”Not on my watch”…until he had to. Then there was the enduring debacle over loose forwards obsession…Sowakula given two tests then axed completely having performed creditably while Akira Ioane was persisted with endlessly despite demonstrating over 4 yrs tgat the top 50 mm was missing….

The pressure from the fans, media and union - the collective NZ was exactly the kick up the butt this team needed obviously. Before that this was one of the worst AB teams in history. Sure they pulled a win out of the bag at Ellis park, but you still have to ask why they needed jobs on the line to do that.

Complacency? Lack of accountability? Poor tactics? Poor selections? There was a bit of all of that. So credit where it’s due, things have improved thanks Foz. The team seems happy and humming nicely which you can take some credit for. Clearly the two new coaches you were forced to bring on board (in part because of fan pressure) have helped no end with the tactical side of things too.

I also beleive the fact Foz and so many of his senior players group are off next year has provided a massive focus for this group, rather than an ‘unfair’ punishment of Foz. This is elite sport after all, before this Foz had never had to worry about losing or finding a job before. Clearly the accountability, while painful, has done him a world of good.

So sorry Foz if you got hurt - but maybe the fans should get a little thank you too for demanding higher standards from our team than what we were getting.

p.s. Finn: maybe you should have held this article back a week - if the ABs loose and we look at Foz’s reign in it’s entirety, you would still have to ask what has he really achieved? In saying that, I think we are looking good, but having seen this team run hot and cold too often under Foz, I’m not getting ahead of myself. I’ll give him a virtual hand shake if we do.

Dr. A. .. I think the A.B’s by 35+ Nothing is confirmed when these two teams play each other. . . 62 All Blacks 29 South Africa 4 Drawn. I thought the S.A. Bench saved the day and the Poms bench didn’t.

The “Rise of this All Black Team” over the last three months has been “Lazarus Like”

I know Foster has had a lot of help. I have a been huge critic. A few games ago we suffered the “worst Loss ever”

On current form the All Blacks Win. To cope with Ireland was “Amazing with 14 on field for 25% of the game and a penalty try against”

That mental strength has happened in a “month” but maybe being “Practiced for a year” Who Knows?

A simple defense to “scrums is don’t drop the ball or throw 50/50 passes”

Lot of pressure on S.A. hooker. . .Bad throws? If South Africa can “score 35+ they can win”

Foster will win the World Cup, all but confirmed.

Spare a thought for Sexton and Peter O'Mahoney though, right now mowing lawns in Ireland. Pre 1/4 final both were talking about their “ideal final opponent”

This is one of the finest AB sides I've ever seen including 2015 and the Italian match was the game that really did it for me. They were denied a century which would have put Italy rugby back in the dark ages.

This entire campaign we have flown under the radar only to be doubted, put down, no one thought we would beat Ireland, we beat them with 14 men plus penalty try in a WC 1/4, this is unprecedented.

Bar the nonsense pre season game in Twickenham, we wiped the floor with the Boks in Mt Smart and Ellis Park, won the championship, these were not just clear wins they were scary as the opposite had no answer. Go watch the highlights of three matches that only happened a few weeks ago.

If I was in the Boks I would be thinking about how to solve the Ellis Park and Mt Smart problems because they were cancelled out.

I wish both teams well but my goodness me, this ABs machine is humming like a Rolls Royce right now, greatest form they've ever been in since 2015 WC Final.

Egg. Those naysayers aren't interested and will be even more enraged if he wins it. Our NZ media culture and consumption practices might need to change, and reckon NZRFU are finally onto that.