Rugby World Cup 2019: Steve Braunias - The secret dialogues of All Blacks coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen all smiles during his press conference in Tokyo, Japan. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Steve Braunias continues his secret eavesdrop surveillance of Steve Hansen and his All Blacks assistant coach, Ian Foster.

Monday

STEVE HANSEN: Fozzy.

IAN FOSTER: Yes, Shag?

SH: There's something I want to ask you.

IF: Yeah alright.

SH: How would you say you're feeling right now?

IF: I wouldn't.

SH: Why not?

IF: I don't like talking about that sort of thing.

SH: Me neither.

IF: It's intrusive.

SH: You're not wrong there, Fozzy. But that's just it. The media, they're always asking questions about feelings. Like in the weekend, you know that horse I have a stake in, it performed very well in the world's richest turf race, and next thing you know they're asking, "How do you feel?"

IF: What did you say?

SH: I said to them, "You only have to look to see what we got paid for running fourth, and I'm reasonably happy about that."

IF: What did it pay?

SH: About $800,000.

IF: I'd be reasonably happy about that.

SH: That's right. But the media, they expect you to jump up and down, and say a bit more than just, "I'm reasonably happy."

IF: Well what more could you say?

SH: That's right. I mean you can ask any Kiwi how they'll feel if we beat England and qualify for the final, and they'll keep it pretty close to their chest.

IF: They might nod.

SH: If that.

IF: They wouldn't get carried away.

SH: It's not what we do.

IF: It's not what we show.

SH: But I mean what we actually feel - that's a different story.

IF: That's right. I mean how would you actually feel if we do beat England?

SH: Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

IF: But you'd be happy.

SH: Reasonably, yes.

Tuesday

STEVE HANSEN: Fozzy.

IAN FOSTER: Yes, Shag?

SH: Mate something's come up.

IF: Righto.

SH: It's Eddie Jones.

IF: Bloody Jonesy.

SH: He's given a press conference saying that an England training session was spied on.

IF: Bloody hell.

SH: Claims there was someone filming it from an apartment window.

IF: Bloody stupid.

SH: Implied that it was us, that somebody ought to do some digging and ask some hard questions.

IF: Bloody mind games.

SH: That's exactly what it is.

IF: Bloody scoundrel.

SH: Well what can you expect. He's an Aussie, Fozzy.

IF: Bloody stirrer. That's what he is.

SH: Well he's stirred me up. Do you know how this makes me feel, Fozzy? I'll tell you. I feel reasonably unhappy.

IF: Bloody hell.

SH: Yes mate. It's that bad.