Aaron Smith and All Black coach Ian Foster after the win over the Springboks. Photosport
Aaron Smith and All Black coach Ian Foster after the win over the Springboks. Photosport
All Blacks coach Ian Foster expects to lead the team to their next test against Argentina in Christchurch in under two weeks and is confident he has the full backing of his players to do that.
New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson fronted media on Sunday but hisrefusal to back Foster's future only further fuelled speculation and uncertainty.
Once the All Blacks arrive home from South Africa, Robinson indicated the NZ Rugby board would review the team's three loss, two win, start to the season and ultimately determine Foster's future at some stage next week.
Foster, speaking in Johannesburg one day after the All Blacks' 35-23 bonus point Rugby Championship success at Ellis Park that snapped a three-game losing run, made it clear he expects to remain in charge.
"I haven't heard or read those comments but he's got a job to do," Foster said of Robinson's remarks. "I'm about to hop on a plane and go home and mow the lawns around the pool. I'll be given feedback, no doubt, but my expectations are I'm the All Blacks head coach and later in the week I'll be going to Christchurch and assembling with the team until I'm told anything different.
At this stage, Foster is unclear about the review process and who will be involved.
"I'm not too sure but what I do know is their job is to reflect on where we're at and to make decisions. I'm sure I'll get told about that."
Asked if he feels he has the backing of his bosses, Foster expressed confidence the playing group are behind him. This was reflected in Ardie Savea's post match comments in which he endorsed Foster as coach.
"I certainly feel I've got the support and backing of the All Blacks and there's still processes New Zealand Rugby want to go through. To coach this team, you have to have categoric support."
Foster elaborated on an intensely difficult climate surrounding the All Blacks, and the personal pile-on that's come his way, after the team lost five of their last six tests prior to the inspired upset triumph at Ellis Park.
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster. Photo / Getty
"You get used to it. And that's sad, isn't it? I get used to the personal side but that's the nature of the job. They're the distractions I ask the players to put to one side. When we go to a test match and there's a big crowd or referee decisions don't go their way or something goes wrong we're demanding of our players to put those things to one side and get back to work.
"In all honesty, I think the playing group have been demanding that of me - stop sulking, do your job and get on with it. Sometimes the answer is in the simplicity of that."
After the All Blacks delivered their best performance of the season, vastly improving their forward platform, attack, set piece and high ball work against the world champion Springboks at altitude, Foster feels he has unfinished business and believes he is continuing to grow as a coach.
"There's no manual with this job but you've got to trust yourself and the people you work with and then you've got to be open with all the different ideas you get and put it into a plan. That's what I've been doing. I'm a different coach to what I was 12 months ago.
"You've got to remember last year we won 12 out of 13 games in a row and no one was talking about us. What this team learns is when things go wrong you certainly hear it. It's how we deal with that.
Aaron Smith and All Black coach Ian Foster after the win over the Springboks. Photosport
"You always know you're going to get some obstacles. You look at three losses in a row that's adversity a lot of this group, including me, haven't had. We have to fix it. Our mindset is about trying to move on and grow the team. We've got an absolute goal for a Rugby World Cup at the end of next year and in many ways this needing to be the launching pad for that.
"I'm not resentful about anything that's happened the last three weeks. I'm disappointed we lost but I also think we're using it the right way to fuel a team that's united and wants to play for this country.
"There's no doubt we had to move some aspects of our game and we've been pretty open in sharing that. We do work hard to improve and challenge ourselves. I know we get told what we're doing wrong but we're working hard inside our camp. We're very proud to be part of this team so what we got last night as a reflection of the growth in a whole lot of aspects. "
With assistant coaches John Plumtree and Brad Mooar moved on after the Irish series defeat, Foster praised Jason Ryan's immediate impact in improving the maul defence and breakdown work during the past three weeks.
"Jason and [Greg] Feeky need a big pat on the back and so do our forwards when they don't get what they want in a test match they are generally not nice to talk to for the next couple of days and that is because they take it personally and we have got massive quality in that pack, but it needed to lift and it has done."
