Foster, Robertson etc
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This may not be a popular view, but listening to Foster in last fortnight, he comes across to me as more driven, with a hint of an edge.
Much more like a head coach should.The guy still views RTS as a second-five eight. He also reiterated constantly that he only viewed Jordie Barett as a fullback (and stubbornly persisted with him as an ineffective back three option in 2020) until forced into moving him into midfield due to injuries. Foster has no imagination, no sense of potential and needs everything handed to him on a plate. You see that essentially all of Foster's big "payed-off" selections have been directly the result of his hand being forced (Lomax, Taukei'aho, Barrett, DeGroot, Newell, etc..) not through some brilliant intuition, inspiration or any degree of foresight...
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@kiwi_expat said in Foster:
The guy still views RTS as a second-five eight
He's not the only one is he? Haven't watched NPC, has he been playing well elsewhere?
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@kiwi_expat said in Foster:
The guy still views RTS as a second-five eight.
As does Leon McDonald. What do you know that Foster and McDonald don't?
he only viewed Jordie Barett as a fullback (and stubbornly persisted with him as an ineffective back three option in 2020) until forced into moving him into midfield due to injuries.
Considering Jordie was a success story in 2021 at FB and pretty much world-class against both SH and NH teams, it wasn't stubborn to keep him there - it was playing the best AB Test fullback at, well, fullback. And I wouldn't get too carried away about Jordie being the new Nonu after one game at 12 against some pretty ineffective Oz defence. Let's see how he goes (hopefully well) up against some decent NH sides.
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@Victor-Meldrew I’m all for seeing more of Jordie at 12 , but yeah it’s easy to forget now how well he played last season as a test fullback. Was probably one of the few success stories .
Wasn’t that outrageous imo to play him there again .
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@kiwiinmelb said in Foster:
@Victor-Meldrew I’m all for seeing more of Jordie at 12 , but yeah it’s easy to forget now how well he played last season as a test fullback. Was probably one of the few success stories .
Wasn’t that outrageous imo to play him there again .
I don't think anyone here would be quibbling about JB playing 15 if we had a steady 12 that was kicking ass or even just clearly growing into the role. Instead we have Havili and QT, neither of whom have stamped their mark, RTS waiting (and waiting) in the shadows, and ALB/Goodhue injured.
The real question is whether the best combo is one of those guys at 12 / JB at 15, or JB at 12 / BB at 15
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@kiwiinmelb said in Foster:
@Victor-Meldrew I’m all for seeing more of Jordie at 12 , but yeah it’s easy to forget now how well he played last season as a test fullback. Was probably one of the few success stories .
Wasn’t that outrageous imo to play him there again .
I don't think anyone here would be quibbling about JB playing 15 if we had a steady 12 that was kicking ass or even just clearly growing into the role. Instead we have Havili and QT, neither of whom have stamped their mark, RTS waiting (and waiting) in the shadows, and ALB/Goodhue injured.
The real question is whether the best combo is one of those guys at 12 / JB at 15, or JB at 12 / BB at 15
Exactly. 15 isnt really a problem area. BB will always do the job there. But 12 was an area of serious concern. Hopefully not anymore 🤞
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it would be odd (very stubborn) if he doesnt give JB more time on tour at 12 to at least see if he can build on his last outing.
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@taniwharugby said in Foster:
it would be odd (very stubborn) if he doesnt give JB more time on tour at 12 to at least see if he can build on his last outing.
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him wearing 12 but moving into that position during games. ALB is back and they also need to see him as well as see how DH goes against NH sides now.
I think that to categorically lock JB in to that spot that need to explore the options and compare. I think that a few players may get half games. -
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@KiwiMurph said in Foster:
A lot of talk about 12 but I think it will be interesting what they do at 13 in terms of building depth/options outside of just Rieko. I have a feeling they may look at ALB there.
I think Foster has most of his XV sorted, and he's just gambling on playing them together into form. It's weird, it's high risk, but it seems to fit what he does.
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@KiwiMurph said in Foster:
A lot of talk about 12 but I think it will be interesting what they do at 13 in terms of building depth/options outside of just Rieko. I have a feeling they may look at ALB there.
Great to have someone who can play both 12 and 13 well esp as bench option but is 13 perhaps ALB's better position?
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster:
@kiwi_expat said in Foster:
The guy still views RTS as a second-five eight.
As does Leon McDonald. What do you know that Foster and McDonald don't?
Leon McDonald doesn't exactly have a great reputation as a selector either, for example, dropping his 2 best locks for the SRP final and numerous other selections last season were detrimental to the Blues in 2021, when they finished 3rd with possibly the best roster in NZ.
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Also, McDonald only played RTS at 12 because there was "a gap to fill there" it had very little to do with his suitability in that position given they already had 2 established wingers, fullback and R.Ioane locked at 13.
Have a gap in the backline and play your new recruit there.
Is this the hot takes thread?
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Also, McDonald only played RTS at 12 because there was "a gap to fill there" it had very little to do with his suitability in that position given they already had 2 established wingers, fullback and R.Ioane locked at 13.
RTS was unsuitable in that position how exactly? Were there no other 12s available to McDonald or was he "forced" to play RTS there? (You know, like Foster was apparently "forced" to play Reiko at 13.)
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@Machpants said in 2022 All Blacks NH tour:
Gawd he's an unispiring speaker
He's full of cliches - learnings, excitement blah blah blah
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The fact that the improvements listed ('moved the performance needle big-time in the pack'; 'added some much-needed variation in attack'; the others mentioned have all flowed from those two) happened after Ryan and Schmidt were given roles in the ABs' coaching team speaks volumes.
The front row changes were injury-enforced, as Foster's original picks dropped out and had to be replaced by players who proved to be much better. Barrett at second-five was also injury-enforced, after Foster said he wasn't being looked at in that position.
In other words, Foster has been shown up as a poor coach and selector reliant on injury, not insight, to force clearly-needed changes, and reliant too on the competent coaches NZR added to the group when those chosen by Foster turned out, like him, to be not up to the job.
