The legacy of Ian Foster as the head coach of the All Blacks will be characterized as that of the “nearly men,” according to Liam Napier, the chief rugby writer for the New Zealand Herald. Napier shared his reflections on Foster’s tenure during an episode of Newstalk ZB’s Rugby Direct podcast.
Foster took over as the head coach of the All Blacks in 2020, succeeding Steve Hansen, and faced the challenges of a global pandemic that disrupted rugby worldwide. Despite winning a Tri-Nations crown, the All Blacks experienced a historic first-ever loss to Argentina in 2020, finishing the year with three wins from six matches.
In late 2021, the All Blacks faced defeats to South Africa, France, and Ireland, raising concerns within New Zealand Rugby. A home series loss to Ireland in 2022 led to changes, with two assistant coaches leaving the setup.
Foster’s coaching era came to an end with a heartbreaking one-point loss to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final, where the All Blacks played with 14 men after losing captain Sam Cane in the first half.
Napier described the four-year era as two and a half years of underperforming, followed by definitive improvements post-Ireland series in 2022. Despite showing resilience in challenging times, the All Blacks were labeled as the “nearly men,” with missed opportunities in key matches.
Rugby Direct co-host Elliot Smith echoed similar sentiments, stating that the All Blacks lacked consistency to be considered world-class. He noted a “power shift” in the international game towards the Northern Hemisphere in 2021 and 2022, indicating that the All Blacks were almost always competitive but struggled to secure their place at the top.
The All Blacks’ journey under Foster was characterized by ups and downs, with moments of brilliance followed by setbacks. While acknowledging achievements like overcoming Ireland in a quarter-final and reaching the World Cup final, the overall perception was that they were close but not quite good enough to consistently claim the top spot in world rugby.
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