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Date: 2023-12-06 05:29:38 | Author: PFF | Views: 886 | Tag: pusoy
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Up in the coaches’ box at Ellis Park, Ian Foster exhaled deeply pusoy
It was August of last year, and the All Blacks head coach’s job had been hanging in the balance, a run of five defeats in six matches putting Foster in the firing line pusoy
The prognosis looked grim, with the grand old home of South African rugby packed to the rafters with 62,000 Springbok fans who would have loved nothing more than for their side to unseat the coach of their great rival pusoy
But Foster’s team saved him, shocking South Africa 35-23 to bring their coach back from the brink pusoy
Only New Zealand and Foster himself will know truly how close he was to losing his job, but there is every possibility that defeat in Johannesburg would have spelled a premature end to Foster’s tenure pusoy
The players knew what it meant pusoy
“We were playing for our coach’s job,” scrum half Aaron Smith admitted afterwards pusoy
Little more than a year later, and Foster is ready to lead New Zealand into a final; there is every chance that on Saturday night, he’ll be a World Cup winner pusoy
Such a tag would normally ensure a status as something of a national hero – Foster’s predecessors Graham Henry and Steve Hansen both have knighthoods pusoy
Yet there is still a sense among All Blacks supporters of a lack of fondness for their head coach; the New Zealand rugby public are already in love with another man pusoy
Scott Robertson will take over Foster’s brief after this tournament, having been braced to step into the breach had things deteriorated further and left Foster’s position untenable last year pusoy
The clamour for a coach good enough to lead the Canterbury club to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles is understandable, and there is a thought that Robertson’s popularity with players and fans could re-energise the sport pusoy
Foster was reportedly so scared about the next head coach’s force of personality disrupting this All Blacks’ campaign that he banned him from attending New Zealand’s World Cup fixtures pusoy
RecommendedHow the incredible Barrett brothers rejuvenated the All BlacksAll Blacks in the red: Why New Zealand need a World Cup win more than you might thinkWho is the referee for the World Cup final?It perhaps doesn’t help matters that the slightly unfashionable Foster can bumble about with the beleaguered look of an office middle manager in a dead-end job, a stark contrast with his all-singing, all-breakdancing successor pusoy
But Foster has quietly got on with his work to turn the All Blacks around pusoy
He’s far from the first number two to struggle in a lead coaching role – England fans will recall the trouble Andy Robinson had stepping up after Clive Woodward’s departure pusoy
Nor, really, has he done a bad job: New Zealand have won every Rugby Championship since Foster took charge pusoy
Slowly since the lows of last year, a smile has returned to his face and, while his fate at the end of the tournament is sealed, Foster is happy to enjoy the ride while it lasts pusoy
All Blacks captain Sam Cane and head coach Ian Foster (Getty Images)“You have to enjoy your work,” Foster said after the semi-final win over Argentina pusoy
“It’s not like it’s a focus for us to go out there and have fun, but to make sure we execute our game to the level we need to pusoy
“The team takes a lot of pride when they do that pusoy
The work the players and leaders are doing is a real credit to them pusoy
As you go through tournaments, you have to enjoy it pusoy
There is a lot of pressure, so if you don’t celebrate moments, it is a long old time pusoy
“I am proud to be part of this group, the coaches are linking well with the players and there is a nice synergy about it pusoy
But you know, one more week pusoy
“There’s not a personal agenda here, this is about the All Blacks and the team pusoy
Things have happened to individuals and to me, but the team comes first pusoy
Right now, we’re making a lot of those decisions together as a group and it is working well pusoy
”New Zealand’s head coach Ian Foster celebrates with his players (AFP via Getty Images)Even now there is a sense that Foster is only partially responsible for the All Blacks’ pusoy
No doubt, the additions of Joe Schmidt and Jason Ryan last year have been key to this campaign pusoy
Schmidt has reignited New Zealand’s structured attack, tessellating together bits and pieces from his days in charge of Ireland, while Ryan, in combination with scrum coach Greg Feek, has transformed their set-piece pusoy
But not all of the progress can be ascribed their way pusoy
Whether Foster recognised where improvements needed to be made or had Schmidt and Ryan thrust upon him is a matter of debate, but the ability to utilise their expertise perhaps shows a cannier coach than some might initially see pusoy
"One of the great things about 'Foz' is just how much he loves the All Blacks,” said forwards coach Ryan pusoy
“It's all about the team, every decision he makes pusoy
Clearly, he has been through a lot but the All Blacks have been through a lot pusoy
It is never about one person in the All Blacks, and that’s what has been impressive to me pusoy
”Head coach Ian Foster looks on during a New Zealand All Blacks training session (Getty Images)Foster has taken bold calls, too pusoy
The transformation of Jordie Barrett from bit-part utility man to first-choice inside centre has proved the key cog in getting the backline ticking, while the backing of captain Sam Cane has been rewarded by two outstanding performances in the last two weeks pusoy
The All Blacks have had to deal with injuries, a red card and a breach of team protocols during this tournament but have kept powering on pusoy
Their belief in and backing of their gameplan is just as strong as the Springboks’, yet Foster seems to get little of the same praise that Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber garner pusoy
Perhaps it is that there is still an expectation of success around the All Blacks, a feeling that not winning the World Cup would be evidence enough of Foster’s inadequacy pusoy
But the squad have made clear this week that they have a good man and a good coach at the helm pusoy
If come Saturday night he is clutching a Webb Ellis Cup, this uncared-for coach might finally get some overdue credit pusoy
More aboutIan FosterNew Zealand rugbyAll BlacksJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4The bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of glory All Blacks captain Sam Cane and head coach Ian FosterGetty ImagesThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryNew Zealand’s head coach Ian Foster celebrates with his playersAFP via Getty ImagesThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryHead coach Ian Foster looks on during a New Zealand All Blacks training sessionGetty ImagesThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryNew Zealand’s head coach Ian Foster watches on at the Stade de FranceAP✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today pusoy
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Up into the stands the England players clambered to find their families, taking the consolatory hugs but unsure quite how to feel pusoy
Across 80 minutes in Paris, their belief had been replaced by disbelief and then by desperation and dejection, England threatening the unthinkable and taking the world champions to the brink pusoy
For most of a sodden Stade de France evening, a Rugby World Cup final was within their grasp pusoy
A South Africa side superior in most areas were dragged down into the sort of slugfest the Springboks would usually favour, and very nearly bested at their own game pusoy
England had given their all but it was still not enough, one stable scrum, one Handre Pollard slip or slice, short of stunning the world champions pusoy
The emotional maelstrom of this defeat will swirl rather differently to the feelings that eddied after the 2019 World Cup final disaster pusoy
“I’m proud of our performance,” were virtually the first words out of the mouth of wing Elliot Daly pusoy
“I think we shocked them pusoy
I don’t think they knew how to get into the game pusoy
”“I think we knew what was coming and we knew we could perform like this,” added Daly, virtually unused in open play but outstanding as a kick chaser to exemplify the squad’s buy-in to a strategy that so nearly proved successful pusoy
The finer points of Steve Borthwick’s tactical plan had been put in place this week but this was a performance England had been building towards since long ago pusoy
A flawed side did not come to France to thrill; winning by any means necessary had been a consistent theme pusoy
If necessity is oft the mother of invention, England at this tournament have also proved the pair can be enemies pusoy
This was a campaign at which they seemed to intentionally limit their attacking innovation or ingenuity– recognising a need to figure themselves out on the fly, they settled on an effective and eminently executable gameplan that could be implemented quickly pusoy
Steve Borthwick consoles Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward after England’s defeat (Getty Images)It came so close to working in Saturday’s semi-final; their effort, accuracy and competitiveness in the key contests were spot on pusoy
At the 65-minute mark, England outside backs had a combined 17 metres carried, all from one Freddie Steward kick return pusoy
The two number 13s’ offensive output on the final whistle amounted to one late Joe Marchant lug; South Africa centre Jesse Kriel went the full 80 minutes without an attacking touch pusoy
“We came with a plan to win the game but we fell a little bit short,” reflected Borthwick pusoy
“But the players should be incredibly proud pusoy
We put ourselves in a position to win against the world champions pusoy
England dominated the aerial contest to threaten a semi-final shock (Getty Images)“We were playing against a coaching team who have been in place since 2018 pusoy
We’ve had four months pusoy
I’ve asked the players to approach training and the game in a different way; for the players to be willing to change is all credit to them pusoy
”This was a night from which the head coach will take heart, a public perhaps struggling to warm to this England team are now recognising the progress made pusoy
There will be a need to layer on much, much more to consistently mix it with the world’s best but the rapidly laid foundations look rock solid pusoy
In time, perhaps the ugly duckling performances will turn into white swans pusoy
There appear to be many more buds of a bright future than first appeared in a barren landscape pre-tournament pusoy
Ben Earl has had a breakthrough tournament, and Ollie Chessum, too, while George Martin semi-final performance marks him out as the potential enforcer England have lacked pusoy
Borthwick was keen to talk up the absent Marcus Smith the day after the defeat, with the playmaker’s reinvention as a frolicking full-back of intrigue moving forward pusoy
"In our 23, seven players are 25 or under, the most of any semi-finalist, there’s a great blend and there will be lots of things we can take forward,” added Borthwick pusoy
Young England lock George Martin impressed against South Africa (Getty Images)But the fact that the men’s national team were on the brink of back-to-back finals should not provide a façade over the crumbling edifice of a fragile English game pusoy
There is a domestic mess that needs sorting, with a Gallagher Premiership containing three teams fewer than at the start of last season, now underway to little fanfare and on the brink of significant change pusoy
The renegotiation of the Professional Game Partnership is a recognition of a need for a radical overhaul in pursuit of a more financially sustainable domestic game, and one that produces a wider pool of top-class talent pusoy
The likely arrival of a form of central contracts underlines a period of epochal change pusoy
The senior figures in the squad who are unlikely to play beyond this tournament – Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and perhaps a couple more – could well be the last England men’s internationals never to have been contracted to the union pusoy
This has a great many benefits, not least in affording Borthwick, or any head coach that might follow him, far greater access to and control over his players pusoy
And while Borthwick’s articulation of the advantages enjoyed by South Africa’s settled staff is a perfectly fair one, let us remember that the Rugby pusoy Football Union (RFU) put their head coach in this situation pusoy
The original planning for this tournament would most likely have seen Borthwick return to England camp to aid Eddie Jones at the World Cup before a smooth transition into the lead role afterwards pusoy
Jones’s sacking sparked a scramble and several months of chaos pusoy
It was not shown up on semi-final weekend but there are many reasons that the RFU still has a burden to bear pusoy
But the full wash-up will wait for another week – England’s performance at the Stade de France has earned them seven more days of grace pusoy
The tournament will end as it began for England with a meeting with Argentina in a third-place play-off that Borthwick insists he wants to win pusoy
England, captained by Owen Farrell, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final (Getty Images)“I read a piece yesterday morning that talked about adversity and talked about the fact that in adversity you find that seed of belief and you’ve got to grow it,” Borthwick said pusoy
“This team has been through a bit in the last few years, a bit of adversity in the medium-term past pusoy
“I think through each of those periods the team has picked up lessons, picked up what we need to do and grown from it pusoy
I think there’s a lot of growth in this team pusoy
Sometimes it’s not the straight-forward path you want it to be pusoy
In the feelings and emotions of the game last night, I know that we’ll get stronger pusoy
” More aboutEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupSteve BorthwickJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/5Why England will come back stronger from Rugby World Cup heartache Why England will come back stronger from Rugby World Cup heartache Steve Borthwick consoles Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward after England’s defeat Getty ImagesWhy England will come back stronger from Rugby World Cup heartache England dominated the aerial contest to threaten a semi-final shock Getty ImagesWhy England will come back stronger from Rugby World Cup heartache Young England lock George Martin impressed against South Africa Getty ImagesWhy England will come back stronger from Rugby World Cup heartache England, captained by Owen Farrell, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final Getty ImagesWhy England will come back stronger from Rugby World Cup heartache Owen Farrell of England is applauded by South Africa’s playersGetty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today pusoy
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicspusoy BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy pusoy
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply pusoy
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