In short, after yesterday’s loss to the All Blacks, their second of the week, against Ireland, so they take the series 2-1 in three games. For the New Zealand national rugby team, losing two games in a row at home has not happened since 1994, in which rugby was not yet fully dedicated to professionalism, and France achieved that feat. So now the local press is unleashing criticism, the All Blacks’ display of play and tomorrow, when the new World Rugby Rankings are published, New Zealand will leave the podium in fourth place, which is a shame. A team representing the nation in the world, rugby is considered a living symbol of the sport.
So it is inevitable that former assistant coach Ian Foster, who took over from Steve Hansen in 2019 after the World Cup in Japan, will be in the eye of the storm. But his results at the helm of the team so far testify to 16 wins, one draw and 7 losses, compared to his predecessor’s 89% win rate of 66.7%. So, while New Zealand federation patron Mark Robinson spoke of “unacceptable performances by our team” and explained that “immediate preventative action and hard work” were needed, fans launched on the ‘Change.org’ platform a petition to exonerate Foster. In its place comes the call of Super Rugby title-winning Crusaders coach Scott Robertson.
But in the running will also be Ireland’s former New Zealand coach Joe Schmidt, who recently joined the ranks of federal technicians in his country of origin and has led the All Blacks in the absence of Foster, who is battling Covid. The lone win in three games this month came against the Irish last July (42-19). Meanwhile, thousands of people have already signed the online petition.
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