For the vast majority of this season Ian Foster has been under siege.
Yet as the All Blacks moved from Edinburgh to London for their final test of the year, Foster projected a starkly contrasting figure. Calm, authoritative, confident, the All Blacks head coach isembracing a season-defining challenge at Twickenham that will be billed as a World Cup knockout audition.
England at their grand south west London home this weekend will have it all.
It’s three years since the All Blacks last met England, on that fateful day in Yokohama at the 2019 World Cup semifinal, when their forward pack was steamrolled out of contention.
Less than a year out from the next World Cup in France, this is a signature stage where the All Blacks seek to confirm their resurrection.
In a highly emotive, fraught and fracturing year featuring four losses, eight wins — six in a row following victory against Scotland — and two telling assistant coaching changes, the All Blacks have rebuilt to this crescendo that will firmly shape their trajectory.
Throw in Eddie Jones’ barbs, Brodie Retallick and Owen Farrell’s 100th tests, and you could not ask for anything more from a headline season finale.
“We’re keen to make a statement on where we’ve got to this year,” Foster said as the All Blacks reshaped their travel plans for a six-day turnaround after a cancelled flight from Edinburgh. “Every team is like that with their last test of the year. You always want to go out strong.
“This one is going to be pretty significant. It’s a big stage and there will be a lot of build up for it. That’s kind of exactly what we want.”
Thanks to their final quarter revival at Murrayfield, the quaint autumn leaves that greet Foster and the All Blacks at their Teddington base this week is a world removed from the hostility of July when Ireland won their first series in New Zealand. Or August when Foster’s job was on the line at Ellis Park and the All Blacks suffered their first home defeat to the Pumas.
The rebuild since has wildly fluctuated — far from convincing test to test.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Photo / Photosport
Yet at this critical juncture, Foster appears at his most comfortable this year. He is poised to recall his first-choice team, with Aaron Smith, Retallick, Richie Mo’unga and Tyrel Lomax all to return fresh for England.
“I’m really pleased with where the team is at when you look at the start and the growth since then,” Foster said.
“We haven’t targeted one test to be honest. We wanted to keep growing the game and build habits for the here and now and also for a World Cup coming down the track.
“We’ve made some selection decisions in doing that but now we’ve got a chance to finish strong as a squad.
“It’s easy for some people to talk about the past but that’s not really relevant to us. The growth is relevant to us. The way we’ve gone about it I don’t think we’ve panicked. We’ve stayed true; we’ve made some significant changes I think that’s clear.
“It’s not like we’ve ignored the performances but we’ve used them to make us stronger. I’m really proud of the group for that.”
With 14 matchday survivors from the 2019 semifinal in this All Blacks squad, that result will hover in the crisp London air. Spoken or unspoken, such a devastating defeat sticks in the soul. For Foster, though, this week represents a significant stake for what’s to come, not what’s been.
“It’s more the length of time we haven’t played England. It’s a bit like Scotland. You have a three-year gap and there’s a little bit of the unknown for both teams. It’s more that.
“We haven’t spoken about 2019. We assume we’ll get lots of questions on it. That’s really in the past. For us it’s about the here and now and maybe with more of an eye to 12 months’ time than three years ago.”
England coach Eddie Jones has already fired a jibe at the All Blacks. Photo / AP
Eddie Jones kicked off the week, following England’s 52-13 victory against Japan, with typical cheeky candour by suggesting, among other bold statements, the All Blacks are “there for the taking”.
Quizzed on those remarks, not even Jones’ early jibes could knock Foster off his morning espresso stride.
“Just because he’s said something doesn’t mean it’s mind games. They can think anything they like. We’re pretty excited about Twickenham.
“We want to finish strong. We’ve had a good tour. They’ve struggled — they lost to Argentina so that would’ve hurt them. I guess they see this as a real chance for redemption from that loss.
“To come through yesterday with the win we had and no injuries means we’re in a great position going down there to play. There’ll be plenty of enthusiasm so we can’t wait for it.”
With Twickenham in sight, Foster has struck a tone of intent. As this year’s test season rests in the balance, he must now ensure actions follow.
