Foster, Robertson etc
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Exclusive: ABs coaching saga - Ian Foster's plea to NZR over 'unnecessary burden'
Ian Foster has spoken out about NZ Rugby's pending All Blacks coaching decision.
Exclusive: Ian Foster’s plea to New Zealand Rugby over All Blacks’ ‘unnecessary burden’
There are detectable elements of concern, sadness, frustration and disbelief in Ian Foster’s voice as he makes his plea to New Zealand Rugby (NZR) not to disrupt the All Blacks in World Cup year by beginning the hunt for the next coach in March.
What’s not detectable is any hint of self-pity. Foster, who has been told that the NZR board want to have their 2024 All Blacks coaching group contracted by April, has decided to speak to the Herald about his employer’s decision because he genuinely feels it’s one which carries a high risk of unsettling players and management, and won’t benefit the team’s ability to perform.
Self-preservation is not on his agenda. His motivation for speaking out now is not because he believes an early appointment process is the wrong thing for him but is the wrong move for the team, and he has branded it “unnecessary”, saying that his employer should “let the needs of the team outweigh the needs of a few”.
“For the last couple of months I have been watching this discussion about the All Blacks coaching process play out publicly,” Foster says.
“The job that I currently hold and have currently been backed by this board to do through to the World Cup.
“And I have sat back and looked at a whole lot of views that have been put out there. Some have been frustrating to hear and a particular frustration is that there seems to be a focus on setting timetables based on what some preferred candidates feel is right for them versus potentially what is right for this All Blacks team.
“We have got players pushing to be in the right shape, and then to say to some of these people - in April/May - maybe time is up, for some that will be okay and for others it might not, but that is the gamble.
“I think you weigh up the pros and cons of that and I think it is unnecessary.
“Those conversations are best had after a World Cup when everyone is clear and we have the latest data and we know where the team is at and then the board and everyone can make the decision with all the data on the table.
“In the meantime we have got a management team and a coaching group that is fully committed to one goal, which is the World Cup and not trying to position themselves into where they fit in next year’s regime.”
His reference to timetables that suit preferred candidates, suggests that he feels that NZR fear that if they wait to begin the process until after the World Cup, they will lose Scott Robertson and Jamie Joseph to other jobs.
But while that may have been a valid fear in November last year, most of the top-tier nations have now made long-term coaching appointments and neither Robertson nor Joseph seemingly have any genuine offers to which they would be willing to commit to ahead of the World Cup.
What Foster fears is that those not ingrained in the high-performance world will not understand the depth of impact an early re-appointment process will have.
“Going [appointing the next coach] pre- or post- [World Cup] has very little to do with my job, but it has everything to do with the whole environment and the months we are going to spend talking about who is in and who is out of the next regime. That impacts on time with which I think we have better things to do.”
Sending Foster to a World Cup as the coach his employer didn’t want would also provide rivals with an easy means to belittle the All Blacks in the media.
“I believe we have a lot of strength in this group and we can overcome that,” says Foster.
“But for me, it is an unnecessary burden that you put on your own shoulders that we don’t need. Why give a sucker a chance. There is no need to do that. For me it is quite simple, let us prepare 100 per cent for this World Cup.”
Foster’s point is essentially that NZR, having backed him to stay in the role through to the World Cup, have an opportunity to fully support him and the team by delaying the appointment process until after the World Cup, knowing that Robertson and Joseph - and possibly others - will still be available.
And that’s a scenario - going head-to-head with the best coaches New Zealand has - that he would relish.
“My job is to focus on what is right for the team. I love this job and I have got a highly motivated coaching group and management team that are working hard, doing everything we can to make this country proud in France,” Foster said.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
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- Players being "burdened" by the prospect of JJ or Razor coming in........ please.
- Appointing before World Cup destroys any faint hope Foster had of keeping his job. (which he was clearly harboring - delusional)
- Other countries appoint before the World Cup and we are left with whoever isn't picked up. (possibly the riff-raff)
- Suck it up Fozzie. Your ass was saved by Schimdt and Ryan when they were forced upon you.
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@Frank said in Foster, Robertson etc:
- Other countries appoint before the World Cup and we are left with whoever isn't picked up. (possibly the riff-raff)
They actually haven't. England and Australia have appointed new coaches recently that have contracts post-RWC, while Ireland, France and SA have/will extend the contracts of their current coaches. Wales and Scotland are in the same position as NZ in that the current coaches contract ends after the RWC. It's not that common for a new coach to be appointed before the current coach has finished, even at SR level.
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So Foster would like to keep him job by the sounds of his remarks and wants go to another WC.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
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@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
So Foster would like to keep him job by the sounds of his remarks and wants go to another WC.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
Imagine, the head coach of a National rugby team saying he and his players want to win the RWC. Not only that but, if they do win, wanting the opportunity to put his name forward to carry on.
Outrageous. Totally and utterly outrageous.....
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
So Foster would like to keep him job by the sounds of his remarks and wants go to another WC.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
Imagine, the head coach of a National rugby team saying he and his players want to win the RWC. Not only that but, if they do win, wanting the opportunity to put his name forward to carry on.
Outrageous. Totally and utterly outrageous.....
Who the fuck said it was I just mentioned by his remarks he wanted to maybe carry on, not that it was good bad or anything you made up the rest of your post in your head because apparently you read something else into my post.
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@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
So Foster would like to keep him job by the sounds of his remarks and wants go to another WC.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
Imagine, the head coach of a National rugby team saying he and his players want to win the RWC. Not only that but, if they do win, wanting the opportunity to put his name forward to carry on.
Outrageous. Totally and utterly outrageous.....
Who the fuck said it was I just mentioned by his remarks he wanted to maybe carry on, not that it was good bad or anything you made up the rest of your post in your head because apparently you read something else into my post.
Calm down. I didn't make any comment or have any thoughts on whether you thought it good or bad. My point was about the banality of the Foster quote in the article - what else does anyone expect him, or any other Head Coach, to say, FFS?
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
So Foster would like to keep him job by the sounds of his remarks and wants go to another WC.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
Imagine, the head coach of a National rugby team saying he and his players want to win the RWC. Not only that but, if they do win, wanting the opportunity to put his name forward to carry on.
Outrageous. Totally and utterly outrageous.....
Who the fuck said it was I just mentioned by his remarks he wanted to maybe carry on, not that it was good bad or anything you made up the rest of your post in your head because apparently you read something else into my post.
Calm down. I didn't make any comment or have any thoughts on whether you thought it good or bad. My point was about the banality of the Foster quote in the article - what else does anyone expect him, or any other Head Coach, to say, FFS?
Fair enough I mistook you post for something else.And I am Calm when I am not its ugly.
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@Tim said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Bovidae said in Foster, Robertson etc:
Wales
How long is Gatland's contract for? Just one year?
Only until the RWC at this stage.
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@KiwiMurph said in Foster, Robertson etc:
Foster trying to paint what's best for himself as what is best for the ABs.
This.
Might as well have said - "Please let me keep my job."
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@Chris said in Foster, Robertson etc:
So Foster would like to keep him job by the sounds of his remarks and wants go to another WC.
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
Imagine, the head coach of a National rugby team saying he and his players want to win the RWC. Not only that but, if they do win, wanting the opportunity to put his name forward to carry on.
Outrageous. Totally and utterly outrageous.....
Actually he said
“That is our goal. We know we have to earn everyone’s respect. And we want to do that - bring the World Cup home - and if we do, I want to be able to stand up, and I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”"I’d like the opportunity to say that maybe I would like to have another crack at this job.”
He doesn't want them to choose now.
he wants to be able to say he "has the opportunity" ...another crack--what the hell does that mean, he wants to be interviewed for the job again or he just wants it given to him? -
Going [appointing the next coach] pre- or post- [World Cup] has very little to do with my jobAppointing the next coach, I'd say, has a lot to do with Foster's job.
And if Razor was in the same position as Foster and said the same things, there'd be a few on here going absolutely ballistic about how "arrogant" that would be.
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@nostrildamus said in Foster, Robertson etc:
Going [appointing the next coach] pre- or post- [World Cup] has very little to do with my jobAppointing the next coach, I'd say, has a lot to do with Foster's job.
Why? He's coaching the ABs until RWC2023 and he's being very clear (see quote below) his job is preparing his team for that and his job doesn't include choosing the next AB coach. Or are you arguing Foster should select the new AB coach?
“Going [appointing the next coach] pre- or post- [World Cup] has very little to do with my job, but it has everything to do with the whole environment and the months we are going to spend talking about who is in and who is out of the next regime. That impacts on time with which I think we have better things to do.”
And if Razor was in the same position as Foster and said the same things, there'd be a few on here going absolutely ballistic about how "arrogant" that would be.
If the next coach suggested it wasn't his job to select the next AB coach, why would anyone call him arrogant? Or are you suggesting it wouldn't be arrogant for the next AB coach - e.g. Robertson - to say it's his job to appoint his successor?
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@nostrildamus said in Foster, Robertson etc:
He doesn't want them to choose now.
And gives perfectly valid reasons why be believes that.
he wants to be able to say he "has the opportunity" ...another crack--what the hell does that mean, he wants to be interviewed for the job again or he just wants it given to him?
It means the idea of a RWC-winning coach wanting another go at the job - hardly controversial, arrogant or unusual.
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@gt12 said in Foster, Robertson etc:
I think Foster has a point that this is really about Razor’s timeline.
I also think he’s doing the wrong thing by making this a public discussion. This won’t be a problem for the All Blacks unless he makes it one. Save that shit for the book Fozzie.
Foster raises some very valid points. It's up to NZR to manage the process to address those and ensure the process and transition in a way which mitigates them. Not holding my breath mind.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@gt12 said in Foster, Robertson etc:
I think Foster has a point that this is really about Razor’s timeline.
I also think he’s doing the wrong thing by making this a public discussion. This won’t be a problem for the All Blacks unless he makes it one. Save that shit for the book Fozzie.
Foster raises some very valid points. It's up to NZR to manage the process to address those and ensure the process and transition in a way which mitigates them. Not holding my breath mind.
I agree that they are valid points. I don’t see why we the public need him making them.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:
@nostrildamus said in Foster, Robertson etc:
Going [appointing the next coach] pre- or post- [World Cup] has very little to do with my jobAppointing the next coach, I'd say, has a lot to do with Foster's job.
Why? He's coaching the ABs until RWC2023 and he's being very clear (see quote below) his job is preparing his team for that and his job doesn't include choosing the next AB coach. Or are you arguing Foster should select the new AB coach?
Ha!
I never did. You twist and twist like a twisty thing.“Going [appointing the next coach] pre- or post- [World Cup] has very little to do with my job, but it has everything to do with the whole environment and the months we are going to spend talking about who is in and who is out of the next regime. That impacts on time with which I think we have better things to do.”
If it is not his job don't talk about it.
And if Razor was in the same position as Foster and said the same things, there'd be a few on here going absolutely ballistic about how "arrogant" that would be.
If the next coach suggested it wasn't his job to select the next AB coach, why would anyone call him arrogant?
No.
I'm saying he is telling them he'd like them to choose after the cup and he'd like yet another chance if he/they win this one.I also don't see clear evidence that choosing a coach now (or even just laying out the selection process and timeframe) would ruin the AB chances for RWC success. For instance, they've won when Foster wasn't even there!
Or are you suggesting it wouldn't be arrogant for the next AB coach - e.g. Robertson - to say it's his job to appoint his successor?
Not saying that either.
I'm saying if Robertson said what Foster said there'd be posters on here calling him arrogant.
