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The All Blacks growth Ian Foster says was 'lost in translation' in 2023
By Ned Lester
Ian Foster is back in coaching after some downtime in 2024, during which he reflected on how his All Blacks head coaching tenure ended.
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Dismissing Ireland en route to a Rugby World Cup final loss was the coach’s final act in black, stopping agonisingly short of completing a redemption arc after a tumultuous four years at the helm.
Preceding Foster’s time as head coach were eight years as an assistant under Sir Steve Hansen, who he has now reunited with at Toyota Verblitz in Japan.
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Those years spent just left of the spotlight meant Foster knew full well what he was signing up for when he put his hat in the ring to be Hansen’s successor, and while there was plenty he did expect in the role, unscripted moments like a pandemic threw extra challenges his way.
Now, the 59-year-old is happily launching into his next chapter in Japan with a measured approach to the past.
“There was a lot going on during my time as an All Black coach and certainly there were pressures there that were probably a little bit unique to perhaps what other All Blacks coaches have had to go through; Covid and others things,” he told Martin Devlin’s DSPN podcast.
“You spend a lot of time reflecting on that and looking at the way we handled things, but to know that we had the full backing of a group of men that wanted to go and achieve something pretty special – I think we left the All Blacks in a good place.
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“I think there were a lot of younger players coming through in that World Cup that I think will be there at the next World Cup and, that probably got a little bit lost in translation at the end of 2023 I think, that this was an All Black team that had the ability to grow and get even bigger and better. So, here’s hoping that’s where they go.”
The team finished with 10 wins and four losses in 2024, led by young talent like rookie Wallace Sititi, 24-year-old lock Tupou Vaa’i, and prop Tyrel Lomax, who were the All Blacks Player of the Year nominees.
The experience of a World Cup certainly benefited the likes of Vaa’i, Tamaiti Williams and Cam Roigard, who each look on their way to, if not already enjoying international stardom.
Foster backing those players early has undoubtedly put them in a great position to succeed. For the coach, however, his place in the team’s future looked anything but certain throughout his tenure.
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As results faltered, speculation grew and during 2022’s Rugby Championship, after losing a home series to Ireland and replacing two key members of his coaching group, Foster’s job was on the line. A win in South Africa was followed by a press conference where New Zealand Rugby expressed their support for Foster through until the World Cup. Seven months out from the World Cup, however, they named his successor in Scott Robertson.
Foster was vocal in protesting the timing of the decision, having taken over from Hansen in a process that commenced following the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
“The key thing is that I’ve moved on. I think it’s really important to not let things that you can’t control, control you,” Foster reflected.
“There were things that happened, people acted in ways that I disagreed with. I think people were pretty clear that I did disagree with them.
“That’s all you can really do is just say your piece and then just go and do what you need to do and I was pretty determined not to let other people’s decisions change the person that I was.
“So, have I moved on? Yes, I have. Have I forgotten everything? Probably no, I haven’t. But, that’s probably for another day.”
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Who cares what Foster thinks! He should keep his thoughts and opinions to himself, quietly fade away.
Foster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
Aww yeah you reckon Fozzie's turning into a Forwards mastermind coach now do you? LOL
Selections wise he was just as stubborn and you could have wasted the fact he did give Lomax, EDG, Samisoni, Vaa'i their debuts early. They might not have been used properly until Ryan got his hands on them and injury forced his hand into selecting them for consecutive games, but I don't think you're on topic.
As a side argument, nothing bad with the message in your comment, just a bit rose tinted for me in an article with Fozzie trying to defend (credit) himself for bring these guys through.
Nothing to do with fair or unfair for me. Purely about results & the manner in which the ABs were losing. I was optimistic in 2020 but only 3 wins from 6 tests played soon dented that. By the time Schmidt & Ryan were recruited in 2022, the ABs & Foster were a laughing stock & their win rate was in the toilet. Thankfully Schmidt & Ryan helped turn the ABs fortunes somewhat.
The biggest issue I had with Cane as Skipper was his absence for nearly 50% of tests played. Through injury. Buck Shelford wrote an article on this very issue in 2021, suggesting Cane should relinquish the captaincy & concentrate on availability when fit.
The appearances of Hansen & Foster in media recently smack of history revision.
Foster's prior eight years international test experience when he took over counted for little. By mid-2022, an overall win rate in the low 60s caused NZR to intervene. Foster's ABs had been reduced to a laughing stock.
Joe Schmidt became a selector in 2022 & was given an expanded role as Foster's mentor. Rugby NZ clearly had coaching concerns.
After the well documented sackings Schmidt & Ryan joined Foster's coaching team. It was from that point, the ABs began to show signs of improvement. And nearly won the RWC. In spite of Foster in my opinion.
Schmidt seems to have gotten off the hook though, despite the RWC final bottle job? Only seems to be Foster getting it.
Barrett's irate kicking - a hangover from the ills of SR - is all that stopped them winning the Webb Ellis. I wonder if aule Fozzie would still be so hated?
Either way, I think it's poor to have your successor announced 7 months before the end of your contract.
Let's be clear: Foster did not back unaquivocally players such as Vaa'i, Tamaiti and Roigard. Yes, he selected them in the squad, but it's a stretch to say he backed them. Those three players have only been backed fully this year (and thrived) under the new regime. There was massive hesitation to give those three guys serious game time in games of consequence.
It's another not-so-subtle dig from the old dynasty at any achievements Razor may be credited for.
Roigard in particular was a mind-baffling omission from the finals of the WC. After being the AB's best player against SA in the pre-WC match, he was not sighted in the big games that followed. Roigard is the type of guy who can win a game with a moment of brilliance, yet the established but uninspiring Christie was preferred to close out a close WC final.
So please, Fozzie, spare us the barely veiled laments about your unfair treatment and unseen achievements. The fact you feel you have to point them out is telling in itself. And it shows that despite saying you've moved on, you and your mate Hansen most definitely haven't.
End of the day it wasn't Fozzie that missed two vital kicks at goal. It wasn't Fozzie who tackled high. It also wasn't Fozzie who fired his two closest friends lol. Razor already did the same with Leon McDonald, so this is nothing against him. Also, wasn't Fozzie who came up with the lame excuse called Suzie, that basically damned them for the next 100 years. Mark my words, they will keep losing important Rugby World Cup games until they apologise for what they did in post 1995. Disgraceful. And for those about to defend "Suzie" , I'll say this. Why was your team so smiley and fired up during the Haka? Full of smiles in fact. The reason is, the nation could not accept their failure and they had to find an excuse, jus to cope and survive in NZ. You probably believe the tooth fairy is real too...
The tooth fairy ISN’T REAL!?
Youve commented on the wrong article chief, this isn’t about 1995.
I’ve marked your words though as ‘nonsense’. Apologies or lack of apologies has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on how a team plays rugby.
You need to forgive whoever hurt you man. Hate & bitterness is no way to live. Be well.
Fuck rugby pass you pack of idiot cunts
Fozzie certainly tried some players in his first couple of years. Much like Razor, though he got himself in a situation where, he especially, had to pick and stick.
Which meant if Razor was to gain any benefit, which is the point of this discussion, he'd have needed to find value in players like Tupaea, Christie, Sotutu, Clarke, Lord, RTS, Bower, Ross, that hadn't immediately gone on to prove they belong.
Of course it was too long ago for a lot of those players to be of benefit to Razor.