'Just go out there and care': Jason Ryan on All Blacks coaching call-up and Ellis Park test

Following the disappointing Ireland series in July, Ian Foster made some significant changes to his coaching staff, one of which was appointing Crusaders forwards coach Jason Ryan to the All Blacks role.

It was a tumultuous time for the All Blacks and one that Ryan has reflected on during this week’s episode of the All Blacks Podcast.

Ryan explained how when entering the All Blacks environment, his approach was to simplify the team’s communication as he felt the players were overwhelmed, trying to focus on too many things at once.

He had just one training session with his forward pack before the team departed for South Africa, hardly a scratch on the two months of Super Rugby preseason Ryan usually has to get his team in shape.

“I was really so honest with the boys, the first meeting with the forward pack in Wellington,” Ryan said.

“I just said to the boys, ‘look, whether or not you’ve played 100 tests or you haven’t worn the jersey yet, I’m just going to be so honest with you boys. I’m going to give you everything that I’ve got and expect that to go both ways. I don’t know everything, I’m going to make a few mistakes but I’m a quick learner, and I just want you boys to care, I’ll show you boys some skillset, I’ll do everything I can to set you boys up to succeed because I know that All Black jersey demands a lot.’

“I was really honest around that.

“I was just like ‘boys I’ve seen some games, this is what needs to shift, and this is how we’re going to do it and why.

“We went out in Wellington, we had a bit of a decent forwards session, a lot of the boys said it felt a little bit like a test match, a few of them got to know each other a little bit better than they did previously.

“Then, we just chipped away and went over to South Africa, straight into the Cauldron, lost that first test match and it was all go then.

Ian Foster had reportedly been given the message from New Zealand Rugby that his job was on the line in South Africa, amplifying the stress in an already tense All Blacks environment following the Ireland series.

Ryan emphasised the need to keep things simple for the team at that time.

“Again, training was minimal on the communication, I reminded them of how they became All Blacks and the coaches were really aligned.

“I’ve got to say, Fozzie (Ian Foster) was unbelievable that week, heading to Ellis Park, I remember driving on the bus to Ellis Park and I could just feel it, you could feel it on the bus, it was immense, the pressure.

“But then it was like, where else would you rather be? Pressure’s a privilege, that’s something DC (Dan Carter) told me years ago.

“You could feel it and it was an unbelievable time to be a part of, that Ellis Park test, my god.

Ryan went on to describe the atmosphere at the famous stadium.

“So the bus was probably, I reckon just on 10 minutes late. Then, getting in through Jo’burg (Johannesburg) and getting into Ellis Park, oh my god it’s feral, but it’s so good, when I say that, passionate is probably the better word to use and the Bok’s and the jerseys and you know, they’re banging on the bus and ‘Bokke! Bokke!’ they’re chanting.

“Then it comes back to, I’ve done my coaching for the week, it’s actually their day, it’s not mine.

“I do remember saying to the boys just on the dead ball line, just to the forwards, I said ‘boys, where else would you rather be right now?’ and it (the stadium) was absolutely chocka (full), and I said ‘just promise each other you’ll care about the jersey today, just go out there and care.’

“And they did, and I couldn’t have been prouder as a coach of the forward pack that day but it was a whole team performance, everyone that was on that bus right through had delivered that.

“I was just really happy and satisfied for the boys, just seeing the emotion, just raw emotion.

Ryan is no stranger to celebrating big wins, having been a part of three NPC titles with Canterbury and six straight Super Rugby championships with the Crusaders.

“The moments in the shed after a real big victory are special because it’s just the team.

“I remember we filled up the Freedom Cup and Beaudy (Beauden Barrett) came up to me and goes ‘mate, you better have a good slurp outta this’ and I go ‘wow, how good’s this’.

“It was just, job done, and I really enjoyed that moment, and you have to enjoy that moment before all the expectations and the media comes – and that’s all part of it, I get that.

“Just when the door’s shut and the boys get round the circle and say a couple of words, whatever it is, whoever feels like they need to, and the back seat might say a couple of things and then finish up with the captain and Sammy said a few words, that’s when you’re sitting there and you’re thinking this is a pretty special place to be.